Hawai‘i Ranked Most Racially Integrated State

According to a recent study, Hawai‘i is the most racially integrated state in the country.

Wallet gave Hawai‘i the No. 1 spot for Racial Integration Ranking compared to the rest of the country, ranking it first in median annual income gap, standardized test scores gap, poverty rate gap and business ownership rate gap. Hawai‘i was ranked No. 2 for labor-force participation rate gap, No. 7 for unemployment rate gap, No. 9 for percentage of adults with at least a high school diploma and No. 25 for homeownership rate gap.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.

In 1963, Dr. King shared with the world his dream of a colorblind society—one that focuses on his children’s character, not on their complexion. Although America has come closer to realizing Dr. King’s vision, segregation and discrimination continue to persist.

Views on systemic racism also differ sharply across racial lines. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, 92% of blacks said that “whites benefit a great deal or a fair amount from advantages that blacks do not have.” In contrast, only 46% of whites agreed with that statement.

To measure America’s progress in harmonizing racial groups, WalletHub measured the gaps between blacks and whites across 23 key indicators of equality and integration in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

Its data set ranges from median annual income to standardized-test scores to voter turnout.

This report examined the differences between only blacks and whites in light of the high-profile police-brutality incidents that sparked the Black Lives Matter movement and the holiday honoring Dr. King, who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against blacks.

To read the full report, go online.