In a world where the public is absent in conversations about the public’s health, a group of individuals began a mission to give voice to the most fundamental aspect of public health—the people.

We are a community of leaders working together to generate healing and transformation by centering people first in health. The institute of medicine defines public health as ‘what society must do to keep people healthy.’ We agree but have found that the field often uses tools that rarely put people first, tools that are not often accessible, tools that may not resonate, and tools that are often denied, missed, or ignored.

We know that no single strategy will work to put people first in public health. But listening matters. So does engagement. We are here to listen; we are here to learn; we are here to reach one another as we bridge the deep divide between the public and their health. We also believe that the often-unheard stories, unspoken sentiments, and unshared portraits may help close the gap between the public and public health experts.

We created Leaders Igniting Generational Healing and Transformation (LIGHT) as a go-to literary journal in public health. We are a journal, bringing back the true meaning of journal as a way to record personal experiences and stories through literary works. We are a logbook of illustrations and photographs, a digital and print commonplace that the public can use to creatively express themselves through narratives of their own health.

We believe in the power of stories, its supreme ability, both in fiction and non-fiction, to illuminate and make public health real and center the lived experience. We also believe in the irresistible power of words, in the power of art, poetry and letters by and from the public to share the truth about life that in turn can be used as voices of urgency, voices of inspiration to buttress calls for actions to keep people healthy.

We believe in the power of creativity, the power of illustrations to spark conversations, to accelerate knowledge and ignite action that center people in public health. We presume, accept, and embrace different views as essential ingredients for an anti-racism response to public health and reimagining of public health where the public is centered.

We are a space where people can be challenged to use information to connect, to create, and to center ‘people’ in their stories of their own health.

Our Mission

LIGHT is a marketplace of creative healing ideas with a mission to use creativity to center the public in public health.

Our Vision

To boldly center the public within public health with a generation of leaders igniting healing and transformation.

Our Core Values