Our mission is simple: we publish social change. We mobilize today’s artists and writers to do good.
Founded in 2018, Lucky Jefferson (LJ for short) is an award-winning arts publisher driving change through collaborative literary and arts experiences. In 2021, it became a 501(c) (3) nonprofit organization.
Our Programs
Creative Arts
Our creative arts programs give students and teaching artists the space to grow and build lasting connections.
Publications
One of a kind. Collaborative. Sometimes interactive.
The way the world reads and writes has changed. So why hasn’t the way we publish books?
You can enjoy our print publications quarterly or up to eight times a year. Our publications spark change, conversation, and were crafted to bring individuals together.
Our Values
Everyone has a story.
We take great strides to diminish oppressive traditions in the field.
We create spaces for writers and artists to lead with their voices and be a part of our larger story.
Curiosity is fuel.
We embrace the unknown, tackle the scary thing, and ask the prickly questions.
If there’s ever an opportunity to radically grow, we take it.
The table is never full.
We take a collaborative approach when building publications.
Co-partnering with our communities, especially writers and artists, is what we do best.
Leading with integrity.
Being the difference is our middle name.
We prioritize doing the right thing to make our communities (and the world) a little brighter.
Masthead (aka the team making magic happen)
NaBeela Washington
Founder, Editor-in-Chief
Morgan Christie
Editor, Awake
Kristine Pham
Publication Designer
Keila Gallardo Cubas
Editor and ENG/ESP Translator
Thy Hoang
Creative Arts Program Coordinator
Selorm Tettey
Volunteer Programs
Faith Brown
Editorial Associate
Mel Sherrer
Editor and Educator, Awake
Patrese Washington
HR Consultant
Literary Illustrators (Summer ’25 Cohort)
Nia Brass
Emma Murray
Nick Komarnitsky
Chuly
Layla Hajigurban
Amaya Gusman
Thy Hoang
Spring Kerste
Yumi Wu
Lucie Totton
Riley Hannon
Volunteers
Grace Schmitt (Reader) / Angelica Perez (Reader) / Selorm Babator-Tettey (Reader & Marketing) / Rutendo Chitondwe (Reader ) / Faith Brown (Reader & Editor) / Laura Botnari (Reader) / Nia Brass (Editor & Illustrator) / Samantha Hambleton (Layout Design) / Jessica Shellenhamer (Website Dev) / Gab K De Jesus (Illustrator) / Andres Palacios (Illustrator) / Paula Iglesias (Illustrator/Translation)
Former Contributors/Editors/Teaching Artists
Ivana Jarmon / Racheal Chie / Shahd Alwali / Anahita Meenakshi / Kathy Rocha / Katherine Quevedo / Nancy Miller / Kyra Jee / Ailun Shi / Melanie Hucklebridge / Abigail Lopez / Brandon McWilliams
Board
NaBeela Washington, Executive Director
Dashone Jackson, Treasurer
Tiffiny Washington, Secretary
In Other News
2025
Read about us in Block Club Chicago!
We launched our hyperlocal newsroom, 15 West. Read the debut story now.
Lucky Jefferson and 76 Chicagoland arts and culture organizations received gifts through Culture Forward Chicago.
We’re grateful for The Arts Work Fund’s grant and their support of our volunteer engagement and capacity building efforts!
The Awesome Foundation is supporting our justice-impacted project Bond!
Read our Poetry Foundation Grantee Profile!
2024
Cook County selected Lucky Jefferson for its Digital Equity IMPACT Small Grants Program!
The Poetry Foundation awarded $1,530,000 in grant funding to us, and 53 organizations!
2023
Amazon Literary Partnership announced its 2023 grant recipients, and Lucky Jefferson is one of them.
Celebrate Lucky Jefferson’s Brandon Blue and his first chapbook with Finishing Line Press.
2022
Lucky Jefferson was awarded a grant by the City of Beaverton Arts Program to produce a print community-based anthology.
Lucky Jefferson was awarded a Vision Grant by Illinois Humanities!
An interview with Write or Die.
Lucky Jefferson’s Fareh Malik was announced as a finalist in Sundress Publications’ 2022 Best of the Net Anthology for his poem in Meliora.
2021
Lucky Jefferson was featured in Poets & Writers annual Independent Publishing Issue.
Lucky Jefferson was announced finalist (and winner of Best Debut) of the 2021 FIRECRACKER AWARDS by CLMP. Celebrate with us.
Lucky Jefferson’s Mohamed Elhassan was recognized nationally by the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards for his poem in Awake.
Jim Harrington asks NaBeela Washington six burning questions.
A Special Thanks to Our Supporters & Partners
Our members, volunteers, and donors are the fuel that power this organization. We use free software to keep in touch with them, understand their expectations, and work towards their satisfaction with these simple yet robust tools.