Illinois Racial Progress: How Far Have We Come?

It's been nearly 55 years since Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech and five decades since the civil rights leader's assassination. With a political climate that includes a white supremacist march in protest of the removal of Confederate monuments and the Black Lives Matter movement shining a light on violence and systemic racism against black people, racial tensions remain prevalent in 2018. But how much progress have we made as a nation in terms of racial equality?

Released to coincide with Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a new study by WalletHub looks at racial progress across the nation, ranking states based upon indicators of equality and integration.

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

"Nonetheless, it’s important to recognize the racial harmony we’ve achieved — in our workplaces, in our schools, in our voting booths," according to the study, which "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," looking at factors including median annual income, standardized-test scores and voter turnout.

So how did the Land of Lincoln do? As it turns out, not so well. The state ranked near the bottom, coming in at 44th in terms of integration, and 29th in terms of equality compared with other states.

Hawaii, with the lowest gap in poverty rates between whites and blacks, was ranked No. 1 in terms of most racially integrated states, whereas Wyoming had the most racial progress, according to WalletHub. The District of Columbia ranked last in terms of racial integration and Maine ranked last in terms of racial progress.

Illinois ranked a dismal 50 with the highest unemployment rate gap between white and black residents. The state also came in at No. 43 for the highest standardized test score gap. However, Illinois did rank high — No. 5 — in terms of the highest change in the homeownership rate gap between black and white residents. View the full study here.

Photo: Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his "I Have a Dream" speech at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on Aug. 28, 1963. (File Photo | Associated Press)