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nDash Writer Profile for Audrey Henderson

Headline

Independent, Progressive Writer and Researcher Based in Chicago

About Me

Audrey Henderson is an independent writer and researcher based in the greater Chicago area. A native of Upper East Tennessee, Audrey migrated to Chicagoland to attend Northwestern University, where she earned advanced degrees in sociology an law Her writing specialties include sustainable development in the built environment, civic tech, personal finance and policy related to the arts and popular culture.

Industries I Write About

Industrial

Finance

Technology

Lifestyle

Business

My Writing Samples

Widening the Path to Green Jobs on the South Side of Chicago

Training program for solar panel installation for people who have traditionally been underrepresented in green jobs.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/widening-the-path-to-green-jobs-on-the-south-side-of-chicago

A Civic Gateway to the City: Union Station Renovation

A description of restoration and renovation efforts at Chicago's iconic Union Station.

http://mydigitalpublication.com/publication/?p=14

Chicagoan Sees Neighborhood Economic Growth in Trees

Observation of a tree inventory -- one aspect of an initiative to establish an urban arboretum on Chicago's south side.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/chicago-west-woodlawn-trees-planting-arboretum

Can You Dictate Your Workers' Private Lives?

A discussion of what company owners and supervisors can -- and cannot -- regulate concerning their employees' conduct off the clock.

http://www.ie3media.com/can-dictate-workers-private-lives/

Electronic Backup Options

Overview of options for backing up computer data both locally and in the cloud.

http://www.ie3media.com/electronic-backup-options/

Who Makes More Money: Athletes, Actors, National Leaders, Drug Lords or CEOs?

A sharp-witted but nonetheless serious consideration and comparison of various highly paid professions ranging from athletes to drug lords to government officials.

https://www.supermoney.com/2015/07/who-makes-more/

What Is the True Value of a Vacant or Abandoned Building?

Many otherwise nondescript buildings are actually very valuable because of their desirable locations near transit, shopping and other amenities.

https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/ex/sustainablecitiescollective/what-true-value-vacant-or-abandoned-building/293681/

The Music and Dance of One Human Family Debuts in Chicago

On June 14, 2018, Chicago’s Millennium Park was filled with spectators from across the city, the suburbs and even out of state. Those closest to the stage sat in rows of wooden auditorium style chairs, while further back listeners relaxed in their own folding chairs or lounged on blankets spread on the sprawling lawn of the park’s Pritzker Pavilion. The audience was as diverse as Chicago itself: African American, Latinx, Asian, Caucasian, singles, pairs, families, American citizens & immigrants.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/the-music-and-dance-of-one-human-family-debuts-in-chicago

Will Obama’s Presidential Center Invigorate or Gentrify Chicago’s South Side?

Economic impact is projected at $246 million annually. Neighborhood sentiment is strongly pro-Center. But how to address persistent concerns about an environmental lawsuit, traffic disruptions and the refusal to sign a Community Benefits Agreement?

https://nextcity.org/features/view/will-obamas-presidential-center-invigorate-or-gentrify-chicagos-south-side

Chicago Segregation Mapping Project Makes Real-Life Connections

As a high school student living in the Englewood neighborhood, on Chicago’s south side, artist and photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson noticed the continuity of several of the city’s street names on her daily commute to Lane Technical College Prep High School, located on the city’s north side. The character of the streets, however, varied widely going from south to north.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/chicago-segregation-mapping-project-makes-real-life-connections

What If Hip Hop Can Make Architecture and Planning Better?

In Feb. 2017, the city of Madison, Wis., was developing its comprehensive plan. Michael Ford noticed that the plan, which projects 20 years into the future, had no input from young people. So he pitched the office of Mayor Paul Soglin. The way that the meetings were set up right now, he told the mayor’s office, it’s not interesting to young people. But he had a “crazy idea to do something with hip-hop.”

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/what-if-hip-hop-can-make-architecture-and-planning-work-better

In Chicago, Science and Industry Also Means Art and Creativity

In 1970, Black Aesthetics, a group of community artists and residents from Hyde Park, located on Chicago’s South Side, approached the Museum of Science and Industry with a request for collaboration. The museum agreed, and hosted its first art exhibition that year. Since then, the event has grown into the Juried Art Exhibition, a long-running gallery of African American art.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/in-chicago-science-and-industry-also-means-art-and-creativity

The Future of Power Distribution Arrives on the South Side

On Chicago’s South Side, one outgrowth of the Great Migration of African Americans from the Jim Crow South during the early and mid-20th century was an outpouring of scientific and business innovation. Daniel Hale Williams, an African American surgeon based in Chicago, was one of the first to perform successful open heart surgery. Supreme Life Insurance, the first black-owned insurance company in the northern United States was founded in the area that has become known as Bronzeville.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/the-future-of-power-distribution-arrives-on-the-south-side

Restoring the Glory of This Iconic Chicago ‘Black Metropolis’ Building

In its heyday, the Overton building housed a thriving variety of black-owned commercial and civic improvement ventures, under the direction of legendary African-American entrepreneur Anthony Overton.

https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/restoring-the-glory-of-this-iconic-chicago-black-metropolis-building

Power shutoffs deepened pandemic toll while utilities collected millions in relief

A nationwide ban on utility disconnections could have reduced COVID-related deaths by nearly 15% in 2020, an analysis found. Utility companies lobbied against such ratepayer protections; meanwhile, some paid out billions in CEO compensation and shareholder dividends.

https://energynews.us/2021/11/08/power-shutoffs-deepened-pandemic-toll-while-utilities-collected-millions-in-relief/

How tree planting can seed climate resilience in communities of color

A Chicago effort to plant 75,000 new trees aims to identify areas in greatest need of additional tree cover and prioritize restoring a green canopy in these under-resourced neighborhoods disproportionately affected by climate change.

https://energynews.us/2021/12/07/how-tree-planting-can-seed-climate-resilience-in-communities-of-color/

For Chicago’s architectural landmarks, retrofits must balance efficiency, integrity

Historically significant — and inefficient — buildings require extra care to preserve design while saving energy.

https://energynews.us/2020/09/16/for-chicagos-architectural-landmarks-retrofits-must-balance-efficiency-integrity/

A sustainable refocus helps a historic Chicago community rebuild

After decades of economic decline, the former company town of Pullman is pivoting from heavy industry to green development.

https://energynews.us/2020/12/02/a-sustainable-refocus-helps-a-historic-chicago-community-rebuild/

Experience

Founder and Owner

Research and writing consulting firm specializing in sustainable development in the built environment.

Company: Knowledge Empowerment

I worked there from 6/2004 until now

Reporter

Specializing in energy efficiency and sustainability through an equity lens.

Company: Energy News Network

I worked there from 1/2020 until now

Content I Write