In 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. introduced the world to his dream of a colorblind society — one that focuses on character, not on complexion. America has certainly come closer to realizing Dr. King’s vision. But segregation and discrimination continue to persist.
Race relations have been in a rough patch recently. According to a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center, 45 percent of Americans say the U.S. hasn’t done enough to give black Americans equal rights to white Americans. In addition, 58 percent of Americans think race relations are “generally bad” and 53 percent think they are getting worse.
As we think about future improvement, it’s important to recognize the racial harmony we’ve achieved — in our workplaces, in our schools and in our voting booths. To that end, WalletHub measured the gaps between blacks and whites across 21 key indicators of equality and integration in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our data set ranges from median annual income to standardized-test scores to voter turnout. Read on for our findings, additional insight from our panel of experts and a full description of our methodology.
