Advancing racial equity

Advancing Racial Equity

People of color in Greater DC have for centuries faced deliberately constructed barriers to opportunities others take for granted. It is one reason that white households have a net worth 81 times greater than that of black households and 21 times greater than that of Latino households. Read more evidence and insights about how to advance racial equity.

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DC’s Population Growth Has Affected the Racial and Ethnic Composition of Wards 6, 7, and 8

Though Black residents in neighborhoods east of the river largely still represent Ward 7 and 8 and their ANCs, ensuring long-standing community residents shape decisions for their neighborhoods and wards is vital to meeting local priorities and needs.
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“It’s Change Work”: How Three DC-Area Chief Equity Officers Are Driving Community Progress

Chief equity officers in the DC metro highlight how cross-sector support, commitments by local leaders, and community-set metrics are mandatory for an equitable recovery.
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Three Ways to Prevent Physical Displacement of Black Latines in DC and Beyond

As researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders track and analyze the disproportionate effects of COVID-19 and
Volunteers for nonprofit organization load bags of fresh produce to distribute to people in underserved communities
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Centering DC Public Housing Residents in COVID-19 Response Can Help Address Racial Inequities

Recent protests in response to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many Black people before them, as well as
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How a Financial Empowerment Center Could Benefit DC and its Residents

The financial health of a city is closely tied to that of its residents.
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How DC’s Bridge Park and other stakeholders can successfully drive equitable development amid past, present, and future challenges

The vision for DC’s 11th Street Bridge Park is to connect some of the District’s lowest- and highest-income neighborhoods in a way that benefits everyone.
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What does bikeshare trip data reveal about connections across DC neighborhoods?

In an earlier analysis of Washington, DC’s Capital Bikeshare program, we found that bikeshare stations tend to be concentrated in whiter and more affluent neighborhoods, and p
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Three ways bikeshare can counteract, not reinforce, DC's disparities

Bikesharing has gained popularity in US cities as concerns about health, congestion, and climate change have increased. In 2010, the DC Department of Transportation introduced the first city-operated bikesharing system in North America.
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To close equity gaps in DC’s wards and neighborhoods, start with data

Opportunities for DC residents to be safe and healthy, to own a home and earn a living wage, and to improve their lives and prosper aren’t equitable across the District. 
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The fate of Initiative 77 should include the voices of DC’s low-income and minority residents

In June, 56 percent of Washington, DC, voters supported Initiative 77, a referendum that raises DC’s tipped minimum wage to the city’s standard minimum wage by 2026.
Are Opportunity Zones in the Greater DC area targeted to communities in need of investment?
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Are Opportunity Zones in the Greater DC area targeted to communities in need of investment?

The Greater DC region has experienced significant economic growth. Although this growth has strengthened the region as an economic engine, it has also led to a housing affordability crisis and concerns of displacement layered over long-standing racial inequities.
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Can a community land trust give long-term residents a foothold in a changing neighborhood?

Washington, DC's 11th Street Bridge Park demonstrates the possibilities and challenges of development.
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A survey reveals cautious optimism in the DC region and a road map to inclusive prosperity

DC area residents have a generally positive perception of their home, but satisfaction varies by income levels and ethnic groups.
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Less segregated communities aren’t only more inclusive. They’re more prosperous.

What exactly are the costs of segregation on metropolitan regions, and how does it limit economic vibrancy and earnings potential of residents?
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A Vision for an Equitable DC

What would an equitable DC look like? Communities of color have faced decades of systemic racism and discriminatory policies and practices.