Report: States That Have Made The Most Progress in Racial Equality

Forty-four percent of Americans feeling somewhat or very pessimistic about whether the country can bring about racial equality, according to Pew Research Center.

In President Donald Trump’s first 90 days in office during his second term, he’s making it very clear that evening the playing field is not a priority as he has axed diversity, equity, and inclusion programs. His moves reflect a startling statistic: 44% of Americans feel somewhat or very pessimistic about whether the country can bring about racial equality, according to Pew Research Center.

Only 28% of Americans feel somewhat or very optimistic.

The cynicism on racial equality is reflected in the economic data. The median yearly income of white, non-Hispanic men is $20,000 higher than Black men and the unemployment rate is higher for Black people than for white people.

Despite the major setback from the Trump administration on initiatives that have been in place since the Civil Rights Movement to ensure equality, a new report from WalletHub has identified that there has been some progress among states.

According to an in-depth analysis of states with the most racial progress over the past few decades, Texas has the top spot.

“The state has reduced the gap in health insurance coverage by 12.4 percentage points since 1995, the most of any state,” the report reads. “In addition, Texas has done the most to decrease the share of Black residents suffering from poor health and diabetes.”

The progress in Texas doesn’t stop at health.

Source: WalletHub

“Between 2002 and 2021, the gap in business ownership between White and Black residents decreased by 6.4 percentage points, the sixth-largest decrease in the nation,” the report reads. “The disparity in the share of business executives who are white vs. Black also decreased by close to 8 percentage points, the seventh-largest decrease.”

Another state surprisingly on the list is Wyoming, which ranks second for most racial progress. According to analysts, Wyoming has reduced the gap between the earnings of white and Black Americans by over 42 percentage points since 1979, the largest reduction in the nation.

“Wyoming ranks as the third-best state for progress when it comes to unemployment, and the 12th-best for improving the [number] of Black residents in executive positions,” the report reads.