NaBeela Washington

Chicago

Poet. Chicago Journalist. Wanderer. Budding Art Collector. Founding Editor-in-Chief @_luckyjefferson. I tweet about everything (especially my favorite shows)..

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Articles

What It Looks Like to Fight Back: Inside Chicago’s National Public Housing Museum

1 month ago | southsideweekly.com | NaBeela Washington

At the corner of Ada and Taylor Streets, where the wind whips between century-old brick and modern glass, the grand opening of the National Public Housing Museum (NPHM) drew an eager assembly in April. Former and current public housing residents from Cabrini-Green and Altgeld Gardens, city officials, media, and curious Chicagoans gathered to celebrate what had been years in the making.
Bonnetta Adeeb Sows Seeds of Resistance

1 month ago | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

When Bonnetta Adeeb’s recent native fruit and berry plant sale drew crowds so large that “people were standing in the middle of the road”, it confirmed what the 74-year-old retired history teacher already knew: Americans are hungry to reconnect with their agricultural heritage. As founder of the Ujamaa Cooperative Farming Alliance, (UCFA) established in 2020, Adeeb has built the youngest national seed organization into an international collective.
Dr. John Francis, 79, Walks in Kindness for the Earth

2 months ago | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

Dr. John Francis, 79, (at left) is an environmental educator and activist best known for his commitment to walking and silence as tools for raising awareness about the planet. Through decades of walking, learning, and teaching, Dr. Francis has cultivated a unique perspective on environmentalism, education, and the power of silence. Dr. Francis, what led you to dedicate yourself to environmental education?
Making the African-American Cultural Garden

Mar 20, 2025 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

The African-American Cultural Garden is part of a complex of cultural gardens in Cleveland; here’s the backstory on this recognition of the Great Migration. Obie Shelton, 69, (at left) is the executive director of The Association of African American Cultural Gardens, an organization dedicated to the completion of the African American Cultural Garden within the Cleveland Cultural Garden Federation, a collective of cultural gardens.
Producing Great Migrations: A People on the Move

Feb 6, 2025 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

How often does one get to hear their personal history framed within the context of American history? Great Migrations: A People On The Move is a four-part docuseries on PBS. Produced by Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., an Emmy recipient and former MacArthur Fellow, Great Migrations breathes new life into the stories of the approximately six million Black Americans who migrated from the South to Northern, Midwestern, and Western states between the 1910s and the 1970s, according to The National Archives.
Don’t feel like cooking? Let these 10 Chicago restaurants handle your holiday meals this year

Nov 20, 2024 | thetriibe.com | NaBeela Washington

Holiday season arrives at the same time every year. We clear our calendars, make space for family and friends, and proceed to cram the rest of the ending year with fond memories and fleeting resolutions. For some of us, though, hosting and cooking Instagram-worthy spreads can turn an otherwise joyful season into a stressful series of long lines at the grocery store and moments of frantically dusting off old family recipes.
After Innocence with Jon Eldan

Nov 13, 2024 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

AARP Purpose Prize winner Jon Eldan left a career in corporate law to create After Innocence, a nonprofit that supports those wrongfully incarcerated rebuild their lives after their release. Here, Founder and Executive Director Eldan, 54, shares the challenges and successes to ensure exonerees are fully reintegrated into society. Were there any specific challenges you faced when shifting from corporate law to launching a nonprofit like After Innocence?
Gemma García: un SALTO de fe

Oct 7, 2024 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

El trabajo voluntario de Gemma M. García con un ministerio carcelario basado en una iglesia en el sur de Florida despertó una pasión por ayudar a las mujeres encarceladas y un AARP Purpose Prize. Conmovida por las duras realidades que enfrentaban estas mujeres, García (67), una ejecutiva retirada de Wall Street, co-fundó el Ladies Empowerment & Action Program (LEAP) en 2009.
Gemma García: A LEAP of Faith

Oct 2, 2024 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

Gemma M. García’s volunteer work with a church-based prison ministry in South Florida sparked a passion for helping incarcerated women – and an AARP Purpose Prize. Moved by the harsh realities these women faced, García (67), a retired Wall Street executive, co-founded the Ladies Empowerment & Action Program (LEAP) in 2009. Initially focused on entrepreneurship, LEAP expanded to address critical needs such as trauma, addiction, mental health, and employability.
Renita White's Economic Empowerment in Chicago

Sep 18, 2024 | seniorplanet.org | NaBeela Washington

Renita White combined her executive experience and roots in Chicago’s South Side to create Of Color, Inc., an organization committed to economic empowerment and social equity. Here, White details her journey and the impact of her work. What is Of Color Inc.’s mission? Of Color, Inc. focuses on providing sustainable employment and stable housing to at-risk families, embodying White’s belief that everyone, of all colors, can thrive when given access to the right resources.