As we wrap the #HealingIllinois 2025 Reporting Project, “Healing Through Narrative Change: Untold Stories,” we're revisiting the powerful work of this year’s newscohort: @capitolnewsil.bsky.social, Illinois Times, & NPR Illinois, shepherded by @cflandoflincoln.bsky.social. 1/ tinyurl.com/nprILpt1

Heading into the June 17 culminating dinner of the #HealingIllinois 2025 Reporting Project, “Healing Through Narrative Change: Untold Stories," we're revisiting the powerful work of @capitolnewsil.bsky.social, Illinois Times, & NPR Illinois—shepherded by @cflandoflincoln.bsky.social 1/

“This past March, Springfield’s Muslim community observed the holy month of Ramadan — a time of fasting, reflection, and spiritual devotion. From dawn to sunset, Muslims fast not just from food, but from distractions, turning inward to strengthen their faith."

“When Astria Campbell works as a substitute teacher at inner-city schools in District 186, she often asks her middle and high school students what they want to be when they grow up. The most common answer is to work in the same low-wage jobs as their parents."

“To the director of one of the museums, the work to rebury those remains at the behest of a tribal nation or send them to the tribe is an emotional process necessary for correcting historic wrongs – but it also includes a lot of bureaucratic paperwork that can take months to years to process."

"You have to give people an opportunity. They feed us breadcrumbs, and we're supposed to survive." — Teresa Haley, community activist and former president of the Springfield NAACP branch.

Save the date! May 28th session on "Program Evaluation for Nonprofits" - register here --> app.smartsheet.com/b/form/01969...

"Before they built the first mosque here, the community used the First Presbyterian Church, Lincoln's Church, as our place of worship. They would lend us the basement, and we would weekly have our services there." — Maryam Mostoufi, past president of the Greater Springfield Interfaith Association.

“Our identity has been frozen in time, and it’s going to stay frozen in time as long as we’re portrayed as mascots and things of the past.” — Matt Beaudet, a citizen of the Montauk Tribe of Indians and member of an advocacy group for Native American issues in Illinois.

We’re excited to share today’s launch of the Healing Illinois 2025 Reporting Project, “Healing Through Narrative Change: Untold Stories,” made possible by Healing Illinois, a racial healing initiative from the Illinois Department of Human Services in partnership with the Field Foundation of Illinois