Earlier this year, the Washington State Department of Commerce issued a request for proposals for a statewide reparations study. As the third statewide reparations study in the nation, Washington’s approach will shape how comparable initiatives are undertaken elsewhere. Dr. Marcus Anthony Hunter is a sociologist and public scholar whose work focuses on Black communities, urban policy and reparative justice. Essentially, Washington state has decided that DEI is the same as Black. Washington state is not alone at this moment.