NaBeela Washington
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nabeelawashington.com
NaBeela Washington
@nabeelawashington.com
Poet. Chicago Journalist. Wanderer. Corgi Mama. Art Collector. Editor-in-chief @luckyjefferson.com. Support hyperlocal news @15west.org.

I post about everything (especially my favorite shows).

In case you’re wondering..it’s pronounced [Nah-Bee-Lah].
Pinned
Nice to connect again / meet you!

A brief intro: I’m a writer (journalist and poet); foodie; guinea pig mama; curious explorer; lover of the semicolon and em dash.

Read my work or get in touch here: nabeelawashington.com

Follow LJ (an arts publishing org I started) @luckyjefferson.com
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
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.
January 14, 2026 at 5:08 PM
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.
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.
media.tenor.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:30 AM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
THE PITT SEASON 2 DROPS THIS THURSDAY???! this is excellent news.
January 4, 2026 at 4:56 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
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.
January 1, 2026 at 10:30 PM
It’s so icky out today. Guess I’ll rewatch Heated Rivalry 😏
a cartoon of spongebob sitting in front of a television with the letter g on it
Alt: a cartoon of spongebob sitting in front of a television with the letter g on it
media.tenor.com
December 28, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
Welcome to 60 Minutes. Our top story tonight is Snakes: Nature’s Spaghetti
December 22, 2025 at 2:32 PM
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.
December 21, 2025 at 9:42 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
"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...
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
prismreports.org
December 10, 2025 at 2:16 PM
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? 😔
How many are dying from heat in Chicago? The city stopped counting & hasn’t shared the tool that could help, @nabeelawashington.com reports. A heat vulnerability index created by Northwestern University could direct resources to Chicago’s impacted neighborhoods, but it’s locked behind bureaucracy.
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
prismreports.org
December 19, 2025 at 6:32 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
"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!
December 19, 2025 at 12:24 PM
“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?
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.
www.15west.org
November 9, 2025 at 5:52 PM
At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if they thought Black Friday was a DEI holiday 😭
November 8, 2025 at 7:20 PM
Jaw been hanging since I got the tour announcement email 🥹. We’re so back
I know yall are not arianators but oh my god please someone be excited about this tour with me
August 28, 2025 at 3:13 PM
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 😭
July 26, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
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...
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.
15west.org
July 18, 2025 at 2:21 PM
Me after the latest episode of #AndJustLikeThat:
a woman is sitting at a table with her eyes closed and laughing .
Alt: a woman is turning at a table with her eyes squinted in disbelief.
media.tenor.com
July 7, 2025 at 2:59 AM
Man self-promo is tuff but here goes.

If you’re seeing this, I’ve started a newsroom called 15 West (@15West.org)!

This wouldn’t be possible without a grant from Cook County and @citybureau.bsky.social.
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...
15west.org
June 30, 2025 at 6:24 PM
I fell in love with a cinnamon roll this weekend. It was so good that I’m planning to get 2 more this weekend.

For anyone with a sweet tooth like mine, the cinnamon roll in question was the “Apple Butter Bun” from pHlour Bakery in Edgewater.
June 2, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
One thing about editing a lit journal is you’ll spend days & days & weeks & sometimes months reading subs, and you’ll start to think, “why do I do this? wtf am I even doing with my life??” and then you’ll read one that you fall in love with and it will all feel like one of the best things ever again
May 30, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Ew..

Someone thought they were being so clever posting about ignoring a journalist who was following up on a pitch.

Pitching is already hard enough as it is.

Let alone having the courage to follow up despite getting ghosted, having your ideas stolen.

Some people are just…weird…
May 29, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Y’all, being a corgi mom as an introvert is such an interesting experience.

I kinda feel like he’s my life coach at this point, idk.. 😭

If he had a LinkedIn his About would say,“From herding to Life Coach, book a session with Benito today.”
May 28, 2025 at 1:58 PM
Reposted by NaBeela Washington
We only need 25 new readers to reach our goal. Tell a friend about the extraordinary work that our writers do every day.
We're 70% of the way there. Our campaign to add 200 new readers ends Tuesday, May 26. As a reminder, we train incarcerated writers to be journalists and publish their stories. Share our weekly newsletter, The Inside Story, with a friend!

Sign up here: prisonjournalismproject.org/newsletter/?...
May 25, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Is anyone else obsessed with Ravyn Lenae and Debbii Dawson??
a woman is screaming with her mouth open in a dark room
Alt: a woman (Ravyn Lenae) is screaming with her mouth open while hanging outside of a moving car
media.tenor.com
May 27, 2025 at 5:15 PM
I’m clearly in the wrong timeline.

Tell me why I’m planning my wedding, and there’s now a line item for “additional tariffs” 🫠
a cartoon of a dog sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and a fire behind him
Alt: a cartoon of a dog sitting at a table with a cup of coffee and a fire behind him
media.tenor.com
April 30, 2025 at 8:21 PM