Regional Support
Strong, empowered communities are vital for the success of reparations initiatives. FirstRepair synchronizes and equips local leaders to implement tangible repair in Black communities. FirstRepair’s monthly national and regional strategy sessions develop and connect local reparations leaders.
Regional Strategy Sessions
Together with African American Redress Network and International Center for Transitional Justice, FirstRepair hosts monthly regional strategy sessions for each of four regions: East, Midwest, South, and West. These have become vital channels of information sharing, requests and responses for assistance, and critical networks.
Meet the Regional Leaders!
The mural features multiple generations of a family, each individually a leader and together a reflection of our nation’s history. Their experiences of success, hope, and joy are woven into the artwork, serving as a powerful reminder of the strength and spirit that builds new possibilities. These individuals represent the contributions and efforts of our ancestors, the opportunity of the present, and the promise of the future.
“The beauty and strength of the Black community expressed in this mural is flooding my heart with profound joy, and immense hope. I hope this mural and the Resource Center serves as a charging station for the Black community and our allies working towards full repair.” – Robin Rue Simmons, Founder & Executive Director
West Region
C. Davida Ingram
Davida Ingram is an award-winning artist and civic leader based in Seattle, Washington, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the Seattle King County African American Reparations Committee.
The West Region Strategy Sessions are monthly, the Fourth Wednesday from 9:00 am to 10:00 am PST.
East Region
Jean-Pierre Brutus
Jean-Pierre Brutus is Senior Counsel in the Economic Justice Program at the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, where he leads reparations advocacy. He was a member of the Reparations Narrative Lab and served as a community fellow on the Rutgers-Newark Crafting Democratic Futures Project.
The East Region Strategy sessions are monthly, the Fourth Tuesday from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm EST
Midwest Region
Jeffrey Trask
Jeffrey Trask is the Founder of the Champaign-Urbana Reparations Coalition and a Commissioner on the Illinois African Descent Citizens Reparations Commission. He is also the Founder and Operations Director of the Champaign County Christian Health Center.
The East Region Strategy sessions are monthly, the Fourth Tuesday from 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm CST
South Region
Jumoke Ifetayo
Jumoke Ifetayo is an activist, thought leader, entrepreneur, father, educator, dancer, healer and visionary. Jumoke is the producer and host of Reparations NOW podcast and serves as reparations subject matter expert consultant for a collective of economic justice and equity nonprofits.
The South Region Strategy sessions are monthly, the First Tuesday from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm EST
To learn more about Regional Strategy Sessions, or to connect with the Regional Leader in your area, please tell us more about yourself:
You may also be interested in our National Strategy Sessions!
National Strategy Sessions bring key speakers to the reparation movement on topics from legal strategy to research methods to arts and culture. Past topics have included:
- Democracy and reparations
- Women in the reparations movement
- Legal and communication strategies
- Earning reparations certification from NAARC
- History of Black Wall Street
- Black music and Black Liberation
With featured speakers:
- Ron Daniels, NAARC
- Kamm Howard, Reparations United
- Nkechi Taifa, Reparation Education Project
- Alvin Tillery, Northwestern University
- Tulsa City Councilor Vanessa Hall-Harper
- Recording artist ALaZ
- Amilcar Shabaaz, UMass Amherst
- Virgine Ladisch, International Center for Transnational Justice
- Justin Hansford, Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center
- Nicole Carty, Get Free
- Richard Brookshire, Black Vets Project