We started our Signal community listening team to ensure our journalism would be infused with community input.  When our editor-in-chief, Lila Mills, introduced the Central listening team last year, we knew it would be an adventure. We knew that the best way to be impactful is to be in community and to have conversations with people. By listening first, we hoped to better understand the issues important to residents.

Now, after a year in the community, two members of the listening team share why they do this work and talk about how being in the right place at the right time led to some interesting stories.

La Queta Worley: Starting with her roots

Najee: Good morning! If you could introduce yourself by telling us your name and which neighborhood you currently live in?

La Queta: My name is La Queta Worley. I currently live in the Clark-Fulton neighborhood. I was born and raised in Central, and I’m looking to buy a house there soon.

Najee: Good luck with your housing search! Could you tell us about your upbringing in Central?

La Queta: I grew up in what was Carver Park. That was my mom’s first apartment. When I was 7, we moved to what was called Central Park Place, now it’s Langston Commons. I attended Longwood Elementary first then went to Marion Sterling. I went to East Tech for high school, so, yeah, most of my life I’ve spent in Central. 

Najee: You are extremely well known in Central and Cleveland at large for your community service and advocacy. What brought you to the Signal community listening team? Why do you think this work is important?

La Queta: It was something new, something different for me. I was able to help contribute to articles and get the word out about different resources. People need some type of relief for their struggles, so it’s important to get the word out. I like to share things I hear, so I’m proud to do it. 

Najee: As a community listener, what have been some of your favorite memories from being in the community?

La Queta: Helping get article ideas for my fellow journalists here at Signal. I write for The Land, but I contribute ideas for articles that have been written by journalists at Signal. As far as being in the community, the team and I table at a lot of events. I greet people, give them little trinkets, gifts and treats. I give them as many community resources as I can so that they don’t have to struggle so much. 

Najee: We know you have an exciting event coming up in the Central community. Would you like to share what’s to come?

La Queta: We will be having our second annual spelling bee for the children of Central on Saturday, May 18, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marion Sterling Library. There will be prizes for all who participate and trophies for those who win. Tutoring is every Tuesday from 3 p.m. to  5 p.m. at the Sterling Branch. 

Najee: How can parents get their kids registered for the spelling bee?

La Queta: There are fliers at the Sterling Branch that the parents can pick up. The registration form is on the back of the flier, and you can turn those into me during our tutoring sessions on Tuesdays. You can also register online.

Kellie Morris: Listening to and documenting Cleveland

Najee: Hello! Could you please introduce yourself and tell us what neighborhood you live in?

Kellie: My name is Kellie Morris. I live in the Glenville neighborhood. 

Najee: What made you interested in joining the community listening team?

Kellie: I have a dual role, because I am a Documenter and I also live in Cleveland. I’m learning, sharing what I’ve learned and hopefully getting some results. Being able to share information I’m learning while documenting and being in community is something I like to do.

Najee: Can you tell us about a memory that has stood out for you during your time as a listener?

Kellie: I attended a community meeting in Ward 5. A young lady who was in a wheelchair shared about the issues she had trying to catch the bus when it snows in Cleveland. Being able to share that story with our community members helped us to understand that it was a real issue that needed to be brought to the attention of RTA. 

Having documented RTA’s weekly meeting, I was able to share that community members have the opportunity to attend those meetings. They can watch virtually, e-mail and attend in person to share what they are experiencing and receive a response.

Najee: What are some of the projects you are looking forward to working on as a result of your community listening?

Kellie: I’m looking to get the word out about Project Noir. There is a survey that African-American women are being asked to complete in response to a 2020 story that said Cleveland is the worst place for African-American women to live.

There was a forum held in Glenville recently to get the opinions of African-American women, understanding that the original survey did not speak to African-American women. As a result of that story, the Commission on Black Women and Girls has been created in Cleveland. I’m really looking forward to understanding how African-American women view themselves and their position in the City of Cleveland.

Putting it together

The community listening team has played a key role in the reporting I’ve been able to do at Signal Cleveland. Thanks to a tip from La Queta, I was able to report on some changes happening at the Friendly Inn earlier this year. 

Thanks to an introduction by Kellie, I was able to report on the Men and Women of Central.

We will talk with the other two members of the listening team soon – stay tuned.

Talk with our Signal Listening Team members:

If you would like La Queta to attend a community event as a listener, email her at [email protected]

If you would like Kellie to attend a community event as a listener, email her at [email protected]