MADISON, Wis. – Fifty-six years after Dr. Martin Luther King first introduced the world to his dream of a colorblind America, a new report by WalletHub shows just how far Wisconsin still has to go.
WalletHub ranks Wisconsin the most segregated state in America.
Only Washington, D.C. ranks behind Wisconsin in terms of racial integration. The study defines racial integration as the disparity between white and black Americans in terms of achieving wealth, employment, education, social engagement, and health.
Not only did Wisconsin rank low in each one of those categories, but the state also had one of the highest income gaps, as well as the second-highest labor-force participation rate gap.
In short, African Americans in Wisconsin are less likely to be employed and more likely to make significantly less money than whites, even when employed. They are also less likely to have a high school diploma than white Wisconsinites.
Here’s a breakdown of where Wisconsin ranks in the study:
Median Income Gap: 48th
Labor Force Participation: 50th
Unemployment Rate Gap: 48th
Poverty Rate Gap: 50th
High School Diploma Gap: 47th
Standardized-Test Scores Gap: 45th
Voter Turnout Gap: 33rd
Infant-Mortality Rate Gap: 39th
You can view the full report here.
Wisconsin also ranks 46th among states that have made the most racial progress, a poor indication that circumstances will soon change.
