Black History Month is fast approaching, and while much progress has been made since Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech, discrimination, segregation, and systemic racism still remain. WalletHub wanted to acknowledge the US states that have made strides in both current integration and racial equality over time, so it looked at nearly two dozen metrics across jobs and finances, health, education, and social and civic activity. Hawaii and Wyoming take top honors, respectively, with the following states also receiving acknowledgment:
Most Racial Progress Over the Long Haul
- Wyoming (No. 1 in "social and civic engagement")
- Texas
- Georgia (No. 1 in "employment and wealth")
- New Mexico
- Maryland
- California
- Mississippi
- Arkansas
- New Jersey
- Alabama
Most Current Racial Integration
- Hawaii (No. 1 in "employment and wealth" and "social and civic engagement")
- New Mexico
- Kentucky
- Arizona
- Texas
- Wyoming (No. 1 in "education")
- West Virginia
- Maryland
- Nevada
- Delaware
Check out the rest of
WalletHub's rankings, including what states had the highest and lowest voter turnout in the 2016 election. (More
racial equality stories.)