Saturday Keynote: Robin Rue Simmons of FirstRepair
Robin Rue Simmons was born and raised in the largely segregated 5th Ward of Evanston, and laid the foundation for her life’s work in 1998 when she became a residential real estate broker. Troubled by the wealth disparities and concentrated poverty she witnessed locally and saw in other urban communities, she wanted to help young adults begin to build wealth through home ownership. As 5th Ward Alderman for the City of Evanston from 2017-2021, she led in collaboration with others the passage of the nation’s first municipally-funded reparations legislation for Black residents, which began disbursements in January 2022. The local reparations initiative is being funded by the first $10 million of cannabis sales tax revenue collected by the City, and the first stage targets homeownership. Founder and Executive Director of FirstRepair, a nonprofit that informs local reparations nationally, Robin continues to expand her advocacy while also serving as the chairperson of the City of Evanston’s Reparations Committee.