On Tuesday, eight people were shot dead in separate incidents in Atlanta. At least six of these victims were Asian American women. This is the latest — and most violent — following months of senseless attacks on Asian Americans in our nation.

By almost any measure you choose, philanthropic giving in the US has grown exponentially in the past 25 years.

At a time when so many are willing to give up any discussion of America’s past in exchange for a false semblance of civil discourse, a new report from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy makes the case that foundations have an immediate opportunity and responsibility to address society’s past harm in order to help communities heal and thrive. Cracks in the Foundation: Philanthropy’s Role in Reparations for Black People in the DMV details how the disparities in areas like education, income, employment and housing for Black residents in the District of Columbia, southern Maryland, and northern Virginia areas (commonly known as the DMV) are not random or natural occurrences but are a string of conscious choices that repeatedly harmed communities.  

Residents of the Greater Washington region are struggling to catch up and keep up financially. New data gives us a window into the lives of our region’s residents, and the precarity they face at a time we all hoped would be more prosperous.