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NaBeela Washington

NaBeela Washington

NaBeela is a Chicago-based journalist writing about what's possible. She's a fierce advocate of the arts and brings people together around literature and culture. Read more: nabeelawashington.com

Brookfield Zoo turns its East Mall into a concert venue. Here’s how it works. — A crowd gathers on Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s East Mall during a Roaring Nights concert, with the zoo’s Ferris wheel visible. | Provided by Brookfield Zoo Chicago.

Animal Welfare

Brookfield Zoo turns its East Mall into a concert venue. Here’s how it works.

Roaring Nights brings sold out concerts to Brookfield Zoo Chicago’s East Mall, where organizers must balance visitor access, live entertainment and animal welfare.

By NaBeela Washington • 4 min read

‘Where Are Kids Supposed to Go?’ — Janura Park dirt pile as of July 12, 2026. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Berwyn

‘Where Are Kids Supposed to Go?’

David Avila asked the question while opening Berwyn's newest athletic field. Just steps away, a pile of dirt marks a flood relief project that remains on hold.

By NaBeela Washington • 7 min read

Summer Smash Fans Praise Performances While Raising Concerns About Organization and Accessibility

Music

Summer Smash Fans Praise Performances While Raising Concerns About Organization and Accessibility

From will-call delays to unforgettable performances, fans described a weekend marked by frustration, community, and lingering questions about the future of one of Chicago's biggest hip-hop festivals.

By Alexa Bermudez • 7 min read

Cymande Reemerges with Fresh Momentum and Deep Roots — The Black British Funk band, Cymande. | Courtesy of Cymande.

Music

Cymande Reemerges with Fresh Momentum and Deep Roots

Ahead of a June 25 stop at Fitzgerald's, bassist Steve Scipio reflects on the band's Caribbean roots, its resurgence through hip-hop sampling, and plans for new music.

By NaBeela Washington • 3 min read

Jem Junkies Is Making Space for Softness — Grillz-making workshop attendee inspecting her mold. | NaBeela Washington/15West

PRIDE

Jem Junkies Is Making Space for Softness

At the Black- and queer-owned grillz and tooth gem studio, comfort and conversation are treated as part of the experience.

By NaBeela Washington • 5 min read

Cody Norman Imagines a Future for Plastic — A woman with Plasticus canistraria, 2023. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Art

Cody Norman Imagines a Future for Plastic

At Garfield Park Conservatory, artist Cody Norman uses coral-like sculptures and plastic to explore how communities might adapt to a material that isn’t going away.

By NaBeela Washington • 6 min read

One Austin Mom Couldn't Find Support for Her Autistic Son. So She's Building It. — Asia Bee and Darrin painting together. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Accessibility

One Austin Mom Couldn't Find Support for Her Autistic Son. So She's Building It.

Asia Bee spent years navigating a system that offered Black families like hers little more than a diagnosis. Now she's creating the community she never had through Darrin’s Voice, one Saturday at a time.

By NaBeela Washington • 5 min read

Anita Piotrowski Finally Gets to Be Seen — Anita Piotrowski. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Art

Anita Piotrowski Finally Gets to Be Seen

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

By NaBeela Washington • 7 min read

Candlelight Vigil Reunites All Fred Hampton and Mark Clark Survivors After 56 Years — Two chairs in remembrance of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

History

Candlelight Vigil Reunites All Fred Hampton and Mark Clark Survivors After 56 Years

Survivors of the 1969 raid, former Black Panthers, residents, and community organizers gathered at the site of the assassination to honor how the Black Panthers' revolutionary work continues today, amid opposition over who has the right to tell their story.

By NaBeela Washington • 5 min read

a mascletà for burning and flowering: Natasha Mijares on ritual, resistance, and rebirth — Mijares pouring rose tea into a mug as guests arrive. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Art

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.

By NaBeela Washington • 7 min read

Eating Our Way Home: Addis Cafe — A freshly prepared latte and blueberry muffin. | NaBeela Washington/15 West

Eating Our Way Home

Eating Our Way Home: Addis Cafe

Part one of a series featuring food spaces that feel like home, this cafe thrives at the intersection of Ethiopian tradition and community turned family.

By NaBeela Washington • 5 min read

Grandma Irma's Cocina Feeds Everyone

Little Village

Grandma Irma's Cocina Feeds Everyone

After 36 years as a waitress, Irma Ceballos opened her own Mexican restaurant in Little Village, where family recipes and unconditional hospitality have made her a neighborhood pillar.

By NaBeela Washington • 5 min read