WalletHub: R.I. 41st most racially integrated state, 20th for racial progress

RHODE ISLAND RANKED 41st on a list of the most racially integrated states, according to WalletHub. / COURTESY WALLETHUB
RHODE ISLAND RANKED 41st on a list of the most racially integrated states, according to WalletHub. / COURTESY WALLETHUB

PROVIDENCE – In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, WalletHub looked at the states and Washington, D.C. to determine which ones are the most racially integrated and achieved the most racial progress.
Rhode Island lands 12th from the bottom on the list of most racially integrated states. But when it comes to racial progress, the Ocean State ranks 20th.

While the personal finance website said the country has come a long way since King’s famous 1963 “I have a dream” speech, it mentioned prominent incidents of police brutality against blacks in recent years, and noted that a Gallup poll found that 13 percent of Americans in December 2014 identified “race relations” as the nation’s most important problem, the highest recorded since May 1992 when it was 15 percent – that was also after Los Angeles police officers were acquitted of excessive-force or assault charges on Rodney King, setting off deadly riots in the city.
“Nonetheless, it’s important to emphasize how far Americans have come in harmonizing blacks and whites in the U.S. – whether in our workplaces, in our schools or in our voting booths. With that goal in mind and in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, WalletHub’s analysts checked the racial temperature of the 50 states and the District of Columbia to identify which among them has made the biggest strides in the name of equality and integration,” WalletHub said.
To determine the rankings, WalletHub analysts studied median annual income, poverty rate, homeownership rate, unemployment rate and voter turnout, among other factors.
Hawaii, New Mexico, Texas, Maryland and California were the top five racially integrated states, while Georgia, New Mexico, Mississippi, Texas and Maryland were the top five states with the most racial progress.
Minnesota, Washington, D.C., Maine, Wisconsin and Iowa were the top five least racially integrated states, while Maine, Minnesota, Iowa, Vermont and Wisconsin had the least racial progress.

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