Our story

Zain Zaidi founded Rooted Forward after becoming interested in the divisions between Chicago’s neighborhoods. Living on the Near South Side and going to school in Hyde Park, he often noticed how much changed within a few blocks, especially around the University of Chicago. He began researching how those differences developed, learning about the redlining, restrictive covenants, and urban renewal projects that had shaped the neighborhoods he knew.

Rooted Forward brings students together to research this history and share it with their communities. Early outreach included surveys and conversations with more than 140 people at the Obama Presidential Center, which revealed how unfamiliar much of this history was, even to lifelong Chicagoans. Today, students in three cities contribute research, develop free educational resources, and lead community outreach.

The organization shares its research through lectures at schools, walking tours, and work with museums and cultural institutions, including the Chicago Maritime Museum, Glessner House Museum, and the Japanese American Service Committee’s Legacy Center. At the Chicago Maritime Museum, Rooted Forward created an exhibit around a 1931 illustrated map of Chicago, with an interactive guide explaining the racial discrimination and housing restrictions reflected in its drawings. Its free app also allows people to take a self-guided walking tour of Hyde Park, learning about the neighborhood’s history at the places where it happened.

Alongside this educational work, Rooted Forward helps residents get involved in local policy. The team explains proposed housing legislation, gathers petition signatures, and advocates for bills that have stalled in committee. This work connects the history of segregation and disinvestment with efforts to address their effects today.