WSL Customized Vintage Answer “H.O.T” Spine T-Shirt

The WSL Answer “H.O.T” Spine vintage t-shirt features the "Smiling Skull" detail subtly hand-painted and integrated into the front design of the shirt. The SGBC design and "H.O.T" spine details have been combined and hand-painted on the back of the shirt. This collection of customized vintage clothing is inspired by poetry in Words Saved Lives. The collection's title, “Hundreds of Thousands (H.O.T) of Pounds on My Spine", is a line from the poem “LTV Steel". This refers to the pressures and stressors accumulated over time as a Black person existing in today’s society and the lineage of that pressure passed down and inherited from previous generations. When poet/designer Larry was born, Larry’s father, “Larry Sr.” worked the night shift at LTV Steel in Cleveland OH. It was grueling, rigorous work that required grit, toughness, and intellect. With molten steel temperatures reaching between 2500-2800 degrees Fahrenheit, it was dangerous and physical work that required one to have a height