Decatur, GA — The city of Decatur and the city’s Better Together Advisory Board have been hosting an anti-racism speaker series throughout the fall to generate awareness of equity concerns in the city and to hold the community accountable to achieve the goal of being an inclusive, equitable and just city, according to an announcement from the city.

The series has engaged community leaders, city officials and activists in exploring the trust deficit in the community, how it impacts race relations, and how individuals can deepen collaborative relationships and trust throughout Decatur. This can’t be done without studying and resolving the influence of racism on governmental policies and community norms, the announcement says.

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The Better Together Advisory Board hopes to challenge and inspire the community to take actionable steps to instill anti-racism throughout city policies and practices.

The four-part series has been moderated by Better Together Co-Chair Ed Lee and will culminate in an exploration of community-informed policy changes.

The series will continue on Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 6 p.m. with a discussion on coalition building, community engagement and establishing trusting relationships. The event will be held via Zoom and those wishing to tune in must register in advance.

To register for the webinar, click here.

The event will feature Robin Rue Simmons, founder and executive director of FirstRepair, a not-for-profit organization that informs local reparations nationally. Rue Simmons is the former 5th Ward Alderman for the city of Evanston, Illinois, where she served from 2017-2021. In this role, she led the passage of the country’s first municipal-funded reparations legislation this year, according to the city of Decatur website.

Rue Simmons has also served as the director of innovation and outreach for Sunshine Enterprises, a not-for-profit that has supported over 1,000 entrepreneurs in launching or growing their businesses. She is a commissioner of the National African American Reparations Commission, a member of the legislative committee of the National Coalition of Blacks for Reparations in America, a member of the Evanston City Council’s Reparations Committee, and a board member of the Evanston not-for-profit Connections for the Homeless.

During the anti-racism speaker series, Rue Simmons will discuss the lessons learned about coalition building, community engagement and establishing trusting relationships as she led the city of Evanston in passing the reparations legislation.

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