All of us at the Skoll Foundation are devastated by the shooting in Atlanta on Tuesday, which resulted in the death of at least eight individuals, including six Asian American women. As Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta said in her press conference, “Whether it is senseless violence that we’ve seen play out in our streets, or more targeted violence like we saw yesterday, a crime against any community is a crime against us all.”
This violent hideous act has drawn further attention to the continuing and escalating violence against the Asian American/Pacific Islander communities across the U.S. There have been 3,800 anti-Asian incidents in the last year, according to a new report from Stop AAPI Hate—with many more incidents unreported out of fear, or language or cultural barriers.
We stand in solidarity with our network and partners and amplify the call to action from Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and Native Americans in Philanthropy for our sector to use the power of our voice and funds to curb the rising violence. “If philanthropy wants to really address racial equity in a long-term and systemic way, you can’t leave Asian Americans out of that mix,” said AAPIP president Patricia Eng.
We condemn all acts of hate-based and anti-Asian violence, and we commit ourselves to continuing to fight for equity and belonging. Let’s strengthen rather than divide our communities as we work together toward a world of peace and prosperity for all.
Here are a few resources from the Skoll network to learn more and take action:
Photo: Members of the Asian American Commission hold a press conference on the steps of the Massachusetts State House to condemn racism towards the Asian American community because of coronavirus on March 12, 2020 in Boston. (Photo by John Tlumacki/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
