iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Block Club Chicago @blockclubchi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

The biggest misconception about Local School Councils? They don’t do anything. Local School Councils remain the most direct way West Side residents can influence decisions at their neighborhood schools. But participation remains a challenge. @15west.org reports: blockclubchi.co/4yMKpbH

093

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 13/07/2026

What do a new soccer field and flooding have in common? It turned out to be one of the most interesting stories I've reported in a while.

040

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 11/07/2026

Same Keyne, same 🥹. I got an email from the post office to check our P.O. Box and was absolutely gagged to see that @15west.org, in its infancy, had been awarded 2nd Place for Youth Emerging Audiences by Local Media Association. Thank y’all for recognizing us! Oh, and GOOO SPAIN 😤! #goool

Kenye, Lamine Yamal’s brother, is cropped and framed next to a photo that shows a glass award recently awarded to newsroom 15 West, for second place Youth Emerging Audiences Award by the Local Media Association.

051

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 07/06/2026

It’s so so good. Stick with it if you can lol

110

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 04/06/2026

🎶Tell 'em, make me a grill!🎶 Not only did I get to make my very first open face grillz, I got to connect with two dope queens bringing the height of 80s and 2000s hip hop culture back through grillz and tooth gems. Thanks @chicagoreader.com for giving this story a home!

030

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 29/05/2026

My first and latest piece for Newcity! Cody is such an incredible human. Stop by The Garfield Park Conservatory before June 7 to enjoy his installation, “Becoming: Where Plastic Meets Nature”. art.newcity.com/2026/05/27/b... Words and pics by yours truly.

art.newcity.com

"Becoming," A Walk Through Our Own Destruction

Cody Norman’s installation hides in plain sight, revealing how easily we miss the quiet warnings of a changing world.

030

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

15 West @15west.org · 28/05/2026

“Black people need services too,” Asia Bee said. Her Austin nonprofit, Darrin’s Voice, supports autistic youth and families through creative programming, caregiver resources, and community-centered care. Read NaBeela (@nabeelawashington.com)’s full story for 15 West: www.15west.org/featured/one...

A black and white photo of a mother and son deeply embraced in a huge. The mother in this photo is Asia Bee hugging her son, Darrin.

A young Black male teen in a navy pullover is seen sitting with his arm out-stretched out of frame. The text "Bee created Darrin's Voice a nonprofit named after her 14-year-old son" are floating beneath this photo on a deep yellow rectangle.

Three young teen males are seen. One is leaning over a younger one who is seated. His hands guide the younger one's hands during a painting session. The third teen smiles beside the two.

051

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

15 West @15west.org · 10/05/2026

REPOST from our student reporter, Erica Afenya: “I had the privilege of attending the 49th annual Peter Lisagor awards on behalf of 15 West. Thank you to Chicago Headline Club Foundation for having me!”

Two seated women smile near a round table at an awards ceremony.

151

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 12/04/2026

So so so proud of my neighbors! We did that y’all 🥹. #BerwynProud

051

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Metcalf Institute @metcalfuri.bsky.social · 24/03/2026

Congrats to the three fellows chosen for the 2026 Metcalf Ocean Nexus Academy (MONA)! We're excited to welcome @gaeacabico.bsky.social, @jgasspoore.bsky.social, and @nabeelawashington.com to the URI campus in Kingston, May 4-6. 🌊 @uprootproject.bsky.social ow.ly/WLWc50Yy7YG

A graphic with blue waves featuring photos of the 2026 Metcalf Ocean Nexus Academy fellows: Gaea Cabico, Jordan Gass-Poore', and NaBeela Washington.

074

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 13/03/2026

Anita is such a beautiful soul. I had a blast writing this and I hope I get to participate in her next quilting workshop! www.15west.org/anita-piotro...

15west.org

Anita Piotrowski Finally Gets to Be Seen

In retirement, she's become the artist she always was.

080

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Ben Phillips @benphillips76.bsky.social · 17/02/2026

I don’t know who needs to hear Jesse Jackson leading the kids on Sesame Street in this beautiful call-and-response reminding them that every child is somebody, but here it is

303216767673

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

JodiCab @jodicab.bsky.social · 24/01/2026

Be angry. Be exhausted. Be shocked that is happening in this country. Yell. Raise hell. Be educated. Post what you feel. Share the victims names. Remember to take care of yourself, too. We weren’t meant to intake this much trauma and news. Fuck 🧊.

20667782197

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

The Bulwark @thebulwark.com · 24/01/2026

Mayor Frey: "I just saw a video of more than 6 masked agents pummeling one of our constituents and shooting him to death…How many times must local and national leaders must plead with you, Donald Trump, to end this operation and recognize that this is not creating safety in our city."

31510163

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Rob Archer 🎙️ @robarcher.bsky.social · 14/01/2026

A WP reporter's home was searched. There'll be some outrage. But it'll become normalized. Then, some reporters will be rounded up, sent to a facility somewhere, and no explanation will be given. And that'll be normalized, too. We'll become desensitized.

1692412983

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 13/01/2026

I hope thee Lynn Jones-Turpin and the team at Jacksonville Free Press are all thriving and not losing any sleep for having the guts to be human in this sad, small-minded world.

media.tenor.com

a woman is making a funny face while laying on a bed with flowers in the background .

Alt: a woman is making a funny face while laying on a bed with flowers in the background. She is unbothered.

030

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

emily @emilysue.bsky.social · 04/01/2026

THE PITT SEASON 2 DROPS THIS THURSDAY???! this is excellent news.

22916189

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Tressie McMillan Cottom @tressiemcphd.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

In 2026 I want all of the decent people to remember one thing. You aren’t meant to be this disciplined, this self-sacrificing to survive. The environment is supposed to support good living. We can have that. You are not a failure. That is politics. That is all.

3896582299

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Alex Blechman @alexblechman.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Welcome to 60 Minutes. Our top story tonight is Snakes: Nature’s Spaghetti

332417349

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 21/12/2025

This one reminded me how much I love alternative music, how under‑appreciated Jasiah still is, and that I’ve definitely got a few mosh pits left in me 😮‍💨. southsideweekly.com/the-future-o...

southsideweekly.com

The Future of Hip Hop is Alt—Summer Smash 2025 Made It Official

The festival showcased a new generation of genre-fluid artists who refuse traditional hip-hop categories.

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 21/12/2025

My quirkiest, most vulnerable piece was born with the help of this new neurodivergent positive outlet. Writing it taught me to fully 💛 my inner rambling queen. motley-bloom.com/norm-busters...

motley-bloom.com

So What If You're A Rambling Queen? - Motley Bloom

What neurotypical society often dismisses as “infodumping” or “oversharing” is, for many neurodivergent individuals, our most authentic form of connection.

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 21/12/2025

This one stretched me in all the best ways: months of reporting, data, FOIAs, interviews, and sitting with the realities of environmental injustice in Chicago. One of the pieces I’m proudest of. Thankful that @prismreports.org gave it a home. prismreports.org/2025/12/01/c...

prismreports.org

How many are dying from heat in Chicago? The city stopped counting

A heat vulnerability index could direct environmental resources to Chicago's most impacted neighborhoods, but it’s locked behind bureaucracy

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 21/12/2025

2025 was…🫨. But I managed to write some things, and get behind the camera more. Dropping stories that shaped me this year in the thread. Here’s to more curiosity in 2026.

140

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

The Uproot Project @uprootproject.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

"A heat vulnerability index created by Northwestern University could direct environmental resources to Chicago’s most impacted neighborhoods, but it’s locked behind bureaucracy." Uprooter @nabeelawashington.com for @prismreports.org prismreports.org/2025/12/01/c...

prismreports.org

How many are dying from heat in Chicago? The city stopped counting

A heat vulnerability index could direct environmental resources to Chicago's most impacted neighborhoods, but it’s locked behind bureaucracy

0106

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 19/12/2025

Here’s the story I’m most proud of writing in 2025. It says what many know. We don’t need more data or another white paper stating the obvious. We need ACTION - leaders with integrity. We need to give communities of color what they need to live FULL, thriving lives. Why is this so hard? 😔

031

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

Shane Anderson 🏳️‍🌈 @shaneanderson.bsky.social · 19/12/2025

"This promise of an AI future, is really just a collective anxiety that wealthy people have about how well they're gonna be able to control us in the future." - @tressiemcphd.bsky.social with an absolute mic drop moment about AI bullshit. Incredible words. Listen to all of it!

8589664143

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 09/11/2025

Her family is pursuing Spanish citizenship by birthright. “But this gesture returns us to our colonizer,” she says. Experience the installation and video performance on Sundays, 2-5 PM, until Nov 16. FREE admission.

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 09/11/2025

Inspired by Valencia’s explosive #mascletà ritual, Mijares serves rose tea, reads a self-written meditation on colonization and care, and invites guests to place raw wool-wrapped twigs into a fire, a collective act of burning and flowering.

15west.org

a mascletà for burning and flowering: Natasha Mijares on ritual, resistance, and rebirth

Artist Natasha Mijares brings the Valencian tradition of mascletà to Humboldt Park through spoken word, textile, and performance.

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 09/11/2025

“There is an art of gathering what to burn.” In her latest exhibition, a mascletà for burning and flowering at Leisure Gallery, artist Natasha Mijares asks: What traditions do we inherit? What violence do they carry? And how do we choose what blooms in their place?

15west.org

a mascletà for burning and flowering: Natasha Mijares on ritual, resistance, and rebirth

Artist Natasha Mijares brings the Valencian tradition of mascletà to Humboldt Park through spoken word, textile, and performance.

141

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 08/11/2025

At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought Black Friday was a DEI holiday 😭

050

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 28/08/2025

Jaw been hanging since I got the tour announcement email 🥹. We’re so back

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 26/07/2025

A few days ago, I learned I won a grant to support an ongoing journalism project — my first grant for writing, let alone journalism and research. I kept rereading the email in disbelief. Then I glanced over and saw my dog excitedly jumping up and down. Pretty sure he’s gonna up his rates now 😭

A tri-color corgi named Benito excitedly wraps his tiny arms around his mama’s arm as she learns she’s just won a grant. His expression is silly, his tongue is hanging out, and he is just as excited as she.

2292

Reposted by NaBeela Washington

15 West @15west.org · 18/07/2025

Tired of unanswered questions and fragmented information, Janel King and fellow residents like Patricia Ostaszewski are creating new paths to transparency in #Berwyn. Scroll ⬇️ for the TLDR or click the link to read more! 15west.org/silence-isnt...

15west.org

Silence Isn't Good Enough: Berwyn Leaders Push for Transparency.

Tired of unanswered questions and fragmented information, Janel King and fellow residents are creating new paths to transparency in Berwyn.

151

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 07/07/2025

Yea it’s gotten pretty bad. She’s always been a little annoying, self-centered, but she’s hit new levels this season

000

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 30/06/2025

Oh, and we just dropped our first story today 😭 So plleasse clap when you get a sec. bsky.app/profile/15we...

020

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 30/06/2025

Our pay and pitch guidelines are laid out here: 15west.org/pitching/ We’re new to social so please give us a follow on IG @15westnews and BlueSky @15West.org (we’ve been trying to follow back all journalists, media outlets, etc.). And if you have any questions at all please DM me or email us.

media.tenor.com

a man wearing a hat and a black hoodie with the words this type of vibe

Alt: a man wearing a hat and a black hoodie with the words this type of vibe

120

NaBeela Washington @nabeelawashington.com · 30/06/2025

My call to you: We’re looking for journalists (no matter how many bylines you have), photographers, people who live on social media, podcast/audio nerds. If you want to help bring more news coverage to the west side of Chicago, please send your story ideas to stories@luckyjefferson.com.

15west.org

Writing for 15 West

15 West is short for 15 miles west. Berwyn and Cicero, where we're based, are located less than 15 miles west of downtown Chicago. When reaching out to us with story ideas, consider neighborhoods wes...

120