As anti-Asian hate and violence is on the rise, schools across the country have been feeling pressure to step up and take action. In 2020, hate crimes against Asian Americans increased 15 percent and the number of anti-Asian hate incidents hit nearly 3,800 over roughly a year during the pandemic, according to data from the reporting forum Stop AAPI Hate.
In March 2021, a series of spa shootings in the Atlanta area killed eight, six of the victims Asian women, stirring fear and outrage amongst Asian Americans across the nation.
In the wake of violence in their own backyard, Atlanta Public Schools, a district with approximately 52,000 students, took action. They became the first district in the nation to add equity work to their existing social justice initiatives.
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