Texas Ranks Second in U.S. Racial Progress

The personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2019's states with the most racial progress on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The report found that 58 percent of Americans believe increased diversity makes the U.S. a better place while only 9 percent say it makes it worse, the organization said in a news release.

WalletHub measured the gaps between blacks and whites across 22 indicators of equality and integration in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The data set looked at indicators like median annual income, standardized-test scores, and voter turnout.

"This report examines 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. Martin Luther King Jr., who played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement to end segregation and discrimination against blacks," WalletHub added.

The report was compiled using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics, U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and Bureau of Justice Statistics, among other sources.

Racial Progress in Texas (1=Most Progress, 25=Avg.)

Note: All of the following comparisons refer to the gaps between whites and blacks over time:

• 7th – Change in Median Annual Income Gap
• 30th – Change in Labor-Force Participation Rate Gap
• 15th – Change in Unemployment Rate Gap
• 11th – Change in Poverty Rate Gap
• 6th – Change in Gap in % of Adults* with at Least a High School Diploma
• 5th – Change in Gap in % of Adults* with at Least a Bachelor’s Degree
• 14th – Change in Standardized-Test Scores Gap
• 9th – Change in Voter-Turnout Gap (2016 Presidential Election)

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