Robbins, Illinois
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Robbins is a village and southwest suburb of
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
in
Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...
, United States. The population was 4,629 at the 2020 census. It is the second oldest
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
incorporated town in the north following Brooklyn, Illinois, and was home to the country's first black-owned airport, Robbins Airport.


History

Robbins was incorporated on December 14, 1917 and named for Eugene S. Robbins, a real estate developer who laid out the village's early subdivisions. The village's founder and first mayor was Thomas J. Kellar, who noted in an early interview "Our people in Robbins are mostly people who got tired of the white fights and the crowded city. They come out here to raise chickens, make gardens, and be a little more free". Robbins was the only municipality in the north that was entirely governed by African-Americans. Kellar, who was a clerk for the Cook County Board of Assessors, was tasked with investigating the procedures of incorporation. Thomas J. Kellar School in Robbins was named in his honor and first opened for the 1954 school year.
After incorporation the community became a popular recreation spot for black Chicagoans, who crowded its picnic grounds and nightclubs on summer weekends.


Geography

According to the 2010 census, Robbins has a total area of , all land.


Surrounding areas

: Alsip : Crestwood Blue Island : Crestwood Blue Island :
Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
Blue Island / Posen :
Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...


Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 4,629 people, 1,551 households, and 951 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 1,887 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 84.77%
African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...
, 5.92%
White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...
, 0.32% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.02%
Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...
, 5.21% from other races, and 3.54% from two or more races.
Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...
or Latino of any race were 7.47% of the population. There were 1,551 households, out of which 29.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.05% were married couples living together, 29.08% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.68% were non-families. 34.82% of all households were made up of individuals, and 17.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.96 and the average family size was 2.97. The village's age distribution consisted of 20.9% under the age of 18, 11.0% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 25% from 45 to 64, and 15.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 79.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the village was $35,815, and the median income for a family was $59,538. Males had a median income of $27,092 versus $26,667 for females. The
per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...
for the village was $16,108. About 20.3% of families and 33.8% of the population were below the
poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 36.9% of those under age 18 and 21.4% of those age 65 or over.


Government

Robbins is in Illinois's 1st congressional district.


Mayor

In April 2021, Darren E. Bryant was elected mayor of Robbins. At age 29, he is the youngest African-American mayor ever elected in Illinois.


Transportation

Robbins is served by a station on Metra's Rock Island District commuter rail line. Robbins is served by two Pace bus routes, 359 Robbins/South Kedzie Avenue and 385 87th/111th/127th. Interstate 294 runs through Robbins, but it has no exits within the village limits. Access to Interstates 57 and 294 are within a five- to eight-minute drive. Midway International Airport is within 25-30 minute drive. The village is home to MDW's southern approach radar tower.
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, Loop business district. The airport is ope ...
is within a 30-45 minute drive via Interstate 294 using the IL-50/ 83 Cicero Exit. Robbins Airport, the first to be owned and operated by African-Americans in the United States, was located here from 1930 to 1933. It had the only flight school at the time where African-Americans could be trained as pilots, and served as a model for the Tuskegee Airmen Program during
World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Many great African-American pilots flew into this forgotten airport. The surrounding white communities, such as Blue Island and
Midlothian Midlothian (; ) is registration county, lieutenancy areas of Scotland, lieutenancy area and one of 32 council areas of Scotland used for local government. Midlothian lies in the east-central Lowlands, bordering the City of Edinburgh council ar ...
, did not approve of this activity, and their police sometimes arrested black pilots after they had landed in Robbins. The one-runway airport and hangar were destroyed by a tornado in 1933. School and operations were relocated by the invitation of white owners of the Harlem Airport in Chicago (it was located south of present-day Midway International Airport). From there, many of the flight school instructors entered the Tuskegee Airmen Program. One notable instructor and the man considered to be the founder of the Robbins airport was John C. Robinson, who was Supreme Commander of the Ethiopian Air Force when
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
invaded
Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...
in 1935. The activities of these men and women have been recognized by the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
's Air and Space Museum.


Law enforcement

In 2024, the Robbins police department had under its employment 46 police officers who had been fired from other police departments, a number higher than any other police department in Illinois.


Education

Posen-Robbins School District 143½ serves Robbins.


Notable people

* Jan Bradley, soul singer ("Mama Didn't Lie"); grew up in Robbins * Bessie Coleman, co-founder of the Robbins Airport with aviators John C. Robinson (aviator) and Cornelius Coffey, an operations center for black aviation * S. B. Fuller, businessman (founded Fuller Products Company) and publisher ('' New York Age'' and '' Pittsburgh Courier'') * Thomas J. Kellar, founding mayor of Robbins * James Loving, wide receiver for
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
* Joe Montgomery, running back with the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers; born in Robbins * Nichelle Nichols, actress, known for playing Uhura in ''
Star Trek ''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the Star Trek: The Original Series, series of the same name and became a worldwide Popular culture, pop-culture Cultural influence of ...
''; born Grace Nichols in Robbins * Keke Palmer, actress, TV show host, singer, activist, fashion designer, known for movie Akeelah and the Bee; grew up in Robbins * Jim Smith, wide receiver for
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, two-time Super Bowl champion; grew up in Robbins * Dwyane Wade, former NBA shooting guard, three-time NBA champion; grew up in Robbins


References


External links


Village of Robbins official website
{{authority control Villages in Cook County, Illinois Chicago metropolitan area Populated places established in 1917 1917 establishments in Illinois Majority-minority cities and towns in Cook County, Illinois African-American cultural history Villages in Illinois