Helen Ubiñas

Helen Ubiñas

@notesfromhel.bsky.social

Journalist. Writer. Content creator – or whatever the hip term is now. Founder, Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism.

1.5K followers251 following95 posts

Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

There are truly no words of thanks adequate enough for the kind notes many of you have taken the time to send about my departure from the Philadelphia Inquirer. I was (barely) holding it together — and then one of you wrote me a letter. 🥹❤️🥹 caterinaroman.substack.com/p/an-ode-to-...

caterinaroman.substack.comAn Ode to Philadelphia Inquirer Columnist Helen Ubiñas: A Voice Philadelphia (Government) Couldn’t IgnoreShaping the conversation on gun violence and public accountability in Philadelphia.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Sabrina Vourvoulias
@followthelede.bsky.social

Gutted and heartbroken that @helenubinas.bsky.social is leaving the @inquirer.com . But I will find her writing to read in whatever form or on whatever platform she does it. No exaggeration, she is one of the very best. www.inquirer.com/opinion/hele...

inquirer.comThank you, Philadelphia. It’s been a privilege to tell your stories | Helen UbiñasAfter 30 years in journalism, I'm dedicating some time to growing The Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism, among other projects.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Matthew Stiegler
@matthewstiegler.bsky.social

A newspaper columnist who cared about our city enough to keep battling to make it better. Thanks for speaking up when others wouldn’t, @helenubinas.bsky.social.

Philadelphia Inquirer@inquirer.com

“I am so proud of so much of what we accomplished together. Yes, we, because no one — no single activist or politician or columnist — can have any kind of impact if their community doesn’t have their back. And Philly, you’ve had my back for more than a decade now.” — Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas

inquirer.comThank you, Philadelphia. It’s been a privilege to tell your stories | Helen UbiñasAfter 30 years in journalism, I'm dedicating some time to growing The Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism, among other projects.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

David Gambacorta
@dgambacorta.bsky.social

This is a enormous loss for the Inquirer and Philadelphia. @helenubinas.bsky.social pushed the city — its elected leaders, its community groups, its journalists — to better serve residents who needed the most and asked for the least: gun violence survivors and homicide victims’ relatives.

inquirer.comThank you, Philadelphia. It’s been a privilege to tell your stories | Helen UbiñasAfter 30 years in journalism, I'm dedicating some time to growing The Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism, among other projects.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Tom Durso
@tomdurso.bsky.social

Thank YOU, @helenubinas.bsky.social, for comforting Philly's afflicted, afflicting Philly's comfortable, and, always, speaking truth to power. This city we love is better for your writing about it.

Philadelphia Inquirer@inquirer.com

“I am so proud of so much of what we accomplished together. Yes, we, because no one — no single activist or politician or columnist — can have any kind of impact if their community doesn’t have their back. And Philly, you’ve had my back for more than a decade now.” — Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas

inquirer.comThank you, Philadelphia. It’s been a privilege to tell your stories | Helen UbiñasAfter 30 years in journalism, I'm dedicating some time to growing The Ñ Fund for Latinas in Journalism, among other projects.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

David Gambacorta
@dgambacorta.bsky.social

“We lost him,” he told me. “We lost our light.” Heartbreaking column from @notesfromhel.bsky.social, who has written for years about Azir Harris, his family, and the long, endless toll of gun violence in Philadelphia:

inquirer.comI met Azir Harris after he was paralyzed in a shooting in 2018. Gunfire early Monday claimed his life. | Helen UbiñasTo learn he was one of four people killed early Monday, gunned down at a Grays Ferry block party, felt like a punch in the gut. This is the column I never wanted to write.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Zoe Greenberg
@zoegberg.bsky.social

A devastating account: "A young father who was paralyzed in a shooting in 2018, and who had become an advocate for survivors of gun violence, was among those killed early Monday after gunfire erupted," by @ellierushing.bsky.social and @notesfromhel.bsky.social : www.inquirer.com/crime/azir-h...

inquirer.comYoung father and paralyzed gun violence survivor among those killed in Grays Ferry shooting, family saysAzir Harris was paralyzed in a shooting in 2018 and had spent years sharing his recovery journey with Inquirer columnist Helen Ubiñas. He was killed in South Philadelphia Monday morning.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Valerie Russ
@vruss.bsky.social

A really tragic column from @notesfromhel.bsky.social on the gun violence that took the life of a young man who she had written about years earlier when he was paralyzed in another shooting . share.inquirer.com/ltWR0B

share.inquirer.comI met Azir Harris after he was paralyzed in a shooting in 2018. Gunfire early Monday claimed his life. | Helen UbiñasTo learn he was one of four people killed early Monday, gunned down at a Grays Ferry block party, felt like a punch in the gut. This is the column I never wanted to write.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Sabrina Vourvoulias
@followthelede.bsky.social

A really affecting column by @notesfromhel.bsky.social: "To learn [Azir Harris] was one of four people killed early Monday, gunned down at a Grays Ferry block party, felt like a punch in the gut. This is the column I never wanted to write." www.inquirer.com/opinion/azir...

inquirer.comI met Azir Harris after he was paralyzed in a shooting in 2018. Gunfire early Monday claimed his life. | Helen UbiñasTo learn he was one of four people killed early Monday, gunned down at a Grays Ferry block party, felt like a punch in the gut. This is the column I never wanted to write.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Sabrina Vourvoulias
@followthelede.bsky.social

She showed up to her lifeguard job prepared & excited. Then she was told not to wear the swim cover-up in keeping with her Muslim faith. "The 16-year-old didn’t expect to be thrust into the role of accidental activist," columnist @notesfromhel.bsky.social writes. www.inquirer.com/opinion/musl...

inquirer.comFaith, fabric, and fairness: From Philly lifeguard to accidental activist | Helen UbiñasCity policies must be clear, consistently enforced, and fairly applied. Otherwise, they create confusion, resentment, and a sense of exclusion.

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Sabrina Vourvoulias
@followthelede.bsky.social

"Citizenship doesn’t guarantee equality,” Meléndez-Badillo told @notesfromhel.bsky.social . “We’re still marginalized in political spaces and circles of power — even though we have the numbers." www.inquirer.com/opinion/puer...

inquirer.comBoricua history with a Bad Bunny twist | Helen UbiñasIn a crossover between academia and pop culture, the Puerto Rican megastar has blessed the book "Puerto Rico: A National History" by Jorell Meléndez-Badillo — essential reading in Philly and beyond.
Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

Oof, when the ghost of administration’s past speaks out more forcefully on pressing immigration issues than the present administration…https://www.inquirer.com/politics/philadelphia/kenney-philadelphia-sanctuary-cities-trump-20250610.html

inquirer.comFormer Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney: Sanctuary cities are ‘common sense’Kenney has not commented on Parker’s handling of the situation, but his op-ed compelled Democratic leaders to uphold "welcoming values."
Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

On second thought, I think 🤔The Don of Decorum 🤗has a nicer ring to it. As you were…

Helen Ubiñas@notesfromhel.bsky.social

This story seriously made me LOL. Reply-all is the devil. Council President Kenyatta Johnson shall henceforth be known as the Director of Decorum. And Jamie Gauthier should probably be nominated for a (digital) Nobel Peace Prize. www.inquirer.com/politics/phi...

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Leia🇨🇴🇺🇸
@theswprincess.bsky.social

These people were following the law and went to check in with immigration like they are supposed to. This woman's immigration case was dismissed, which made her immediately undocumented. So ICE took her into custody. The air conditioning was off in the back of the truck. "I can't breathe."

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Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

Great Bunch column. But let us never forget, and point out, what utter bullshit many newsroom reckonings *also turned out to be. What went wrong, from colleges to corporations, is that those who co-signed/created environments that needed to be reformed then went on to lead these “reckonings.”

Will Bunch@willbunch.bsky.social

Sunday marks 5 years since George Floyd's murder, when millions marched for racial justice. It's bad enough that few reforms came from it But there's a straight line from BLM marches to a backlash that reelected Trump and is ending DEI. What went wrong? My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/geor...

inquirer.comGeorge Floyd’s 2020 murder promised a ‘racial reckoning.’ Instead, we got Trump | Will BunchMarchers who expected racial progress in the five years since George Floyd's murder instead got a Trump-led white backlash.
Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

10/10 trolling right here. I have no clue what sway this sheriff has on all her ride-or-die city official pals— including one running for re-election — but it’s s-t-u-n-n-i-n-g to see them co-sign pure nonsense with taxpayer money. www.inquirer.com/news/sheriff...

inquirer.comPhilly Sheriff seeks new headquarters, academy, and $20 million budget boostPhiladelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal pitched City Council on a major increase to her staff and $34 million budget, and sought leases for a new office headquarters and a local academy.
Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

Having one Latina at a newspaper opinion department is rare, having two…and on the cover of the Sunday section, no less – well, it’s the second coming of Jesus de Cristo, y’all. So 🙏🏼❤️🙌!

Sabrina Vourvoulias@followthelede.bsky.social

Delighted to share today's Sunday Opinion front at @inquirer.com with @notesfromhel.bsky.social and @carolekingofficial.bsky.social!

Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

My blood boils at politicians we elected doing a total of jack shit to stop this insanity - and that includes their “outraged” Tweeting and Threading and BkueSkying and Guinness World Record talkathons. When in the actual f are leaders going to step in and step up — before it’s too late?

Will Bunch@willbunch.bsky.social

There's so much to be mad about but nothing has caused my blood to absolutely boil more than watching two so-called "world leaders" lie that an innocent good father and husband and hard-working union apprentice is a "terrorist." I hope these monsters burn in hell

Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

WAKE TF UP, AMERICA!

Sarah Longwell@sarahlongwell25.bsky.social

He’s threatening media companies who are critical of him. He’s talking about sending Americans to foreign prisons. He’s signing executive orders to investigate former staff members who spoke out against him. He’s defying the Supreme Court. Don’t you see what’s happening here?

Helen Ubiñas reposted

Will Bunch
@willbunch.bsky.social

I want them all unmasked. I want Noem, Homan, and Miller to someday be tried for their crimes against humanity. Ditto for the ICE agents and other officers who abuse innocent tourists, college students, and refugees When all this is over, I want justice. My column www.inquirer.com/opinion/comm...

inquirer.comWhen this is over, U.S. rights abusers must be tried for crimes against humanityEscalating reports of human rights crimes from Kristi Noem's propaganda to ICE cruelty must be wiped clean with justice.
Helen Ubiñas
@notesfromhel.bsky.social

People-watching and eavesdropping at JFK airport and 8/10 convos are about tariffs, stocks, evaporating savings. Female flight attendant to male colleague looking at his phone: Looking at your stocks? Him, seemingly half-joking: I have like $2 left. Her: You shouldn’t have looked.