Robin Rue Simmons, founder and executive director of FirstRepair and a Pritzker Fellow at the Institute of Politics of The University of Chicago, spoke to SUNY Old Westbury students on April 6, 2023. The school’s Politics, Economics, and Law (PEL) Club welcomed Rue Simmons to give a talk about the role in which young people can play in Black Americans receiving reparations. The PEL club’s goal is to educate students on political and economic affairs, and patterns of historical inequalities.
Students gathered in the Student Union for the talk. Rue Simmons explained how she, in collaboration with others, led her hometown Evanston, Illinois, to become the nation’s first municipality with funded reparations legislation for Black residents. From 2017 to 2021, Rue Simmons served as the former 5th Ward Alderman for the City of Evanston, Illinois. She prioritized the people and at town hall meetings she asked, “What do reparations mean to you?” Rue Simmons said the question resulted in an outpour of pain and trauma, passed down from generation to generation. Today, $20 million worth of reparations have been committed by the city of Evanston.
The debate surrounding reparations in the United States remains a heated one. Some politicians said that giving out financial compensation to black people wouldn’t be fiscally responsible. Rue Simmons explained that if reparations in the city of Chicago, Illinois, were addressed, they’d see a $4 million increase in the city’s GDP. She said,“the government has no issue paying reparations to everybody but black folk.”
Before explaining the steps she took to lead Black Evanston residents to reparations, Rue Simmons explained the different forms of reparations and what they mean. She explained that there were 5 forms of reparations: restitution, rehabilitation, satisfaction, compensation, and cessation.
The road to reparations in Evanston wasn’t an easy one, Rue Simmons said. In 2002, Council member Lionel Jean-Baptiste called to action a federal policy. The council member’s plans didn’t go far until in 2019 when 126-R-19 passed. Evanston residents received restorative housing and education initiatives, which Rue Simmons said is the most important thing they’ve done.
Rue Simmons said that everyone has a responsibility in the fight for reparations, from corporations to institutions to individuals. She said it’s important because today, black people are still affected by the legacy of slavery, redlining, the war on drugs, police violence, and predatory lending systems.
Rue Simmons then explained how young people can take action. Rue Simmons called upon students in law to make the case and craft a legal framework around reparations. She then called upon law students, stating that legislation speaks to the values. For non-black students, Rue Simmons explained how they can be an ally. She told them to shop from black people and to think about who they hire or elect.
Rue Simmons also emphasized the importance of self care when fighting the good fight. She said, “I absorbed it all,” after experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic and then seeing the “public lynching” of George Floyd and countless other black men and women. She encouraged students to step away when they need to, so as not to avoid burnout.
Rue Simmons founded FirstRepair, a non-for-profit organization to focus on helping state and local governments shape reparations initiatives. She has received several awards for her work, including a proclamation from the Evanston City Council recognizing her work in reparations. She’s been featured in many national and international publications, such as the New York Times and The Washington Post. She’s also been featured in television and radio, including CNN and National Public Radio.
During the question-and-answer portion of the talk, a PEL student asked Rue Simmons how she’d go about holding politicians accountable in regards to reparations. Rue Simmons responded, “sometimes we have the wrong approach… come with a plan.” Rue Simmons said politicians don’t collaborate enough because they have so much to worry about, especially post-COVID. Rue Simmons said the best thing to do is offer as much help as possible.
Another student asked Rue Simmons about how she faces people claiming to be on her side, prefacing the question with how Democrats support movements like Black Lives Matter but don’t support reparations. Rue Simmons said white communities often ask, “what am I going to have to sacrifice?” She said conversations in which we educate one another have to start. Rue Simmons explained there were times where her thoughts weren’t valued and she wasn’t taken seriously, but finding academic partners or thought leaders within the white community helped her be heard.
At the end of the event, the PEL Club president thanked everyone for coming and ended with stating the importance of having these kinds of conversations that are actively being silenced. SUNY Old Westbury Professor Dr. Kevin Ozgercin organized the event after watching Rue Simmons’ appearance on “60 Minutes” in October of 2022. The PEL Club is to thank for hosting the event. The Black Studies Center cosponsored the event and provided lunch afterwards.
