STORIES BY SHELBY E. HAWKINS
Journalist
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ABOUT ME
Chicago-Based Multimedia Journalist
Shelby holds an M.A in Civic Media from Columbia College Chicago, and a Bachelor's in Multimedia Photojournalism from the same institution.
She currently works as an Associate Producer for WTTW's Chicago Tonight.
Prior to working at Chicago's PBS station, she was a Production Assistant for NPR's Morning Edition and Up First.
In her free time she practices yoga and binge watches her favorite sitcoms.
FINDING [FOOD] JUSTICE
Finding [Food] Justice is the story of long-time Chicago resident, LaShawn Miller. The west-sider works full time as an audio/visual engineer, and she’s also a farmer. Miller’s passion lies in gardening, community health and food justice - her plot of land is fittingly called “Finding Justice Vegetable and Flower Garden.” The conflict of the film lies in her community, Austin, which is a food desert. Miller aspires to not only bring healthy and affordable produce to Austin, but to also teach the community about nutrition and food justice. Along with several other food justice advocates and Austin natives, this film examines the burden individuals carry as they attempt to solve the issue of food accessibility in their neighborhood.
Sankofa Chicago
Sankofa is an hour-long documentary that addresses Black people’s desire to better understand where we come from and how our history affects where we are going. I worked as the primary cinematographer and co-producer.
It's an official selection at Cannes World Film Festival 2021.
PORTFOLIO OF WORK
Past. Present. Future.
This is a package I produced in honor of Pride Month on Chicago's local ballroom scene for WTTW's Chicago Tonight.
It shows the significance and joy of the community amid a challenging time.
The State of Our City: A WTTW News Town Hall
Along with my colleagues at NPR, I helped to produce the network's first bilingual State of Union coverage. The special provided live Spanish translation and analysis to listeners, marking a major milestone for the newsroom in 2023.
You can listen to it here.
Bylines
