Commentary: 2016's States That Have Achieved the Most Racial Progress

13 January 2016 2:23PM

In honor of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and MLK Day, social media company WalletHub identified which U.S. states have made the biggest strides in the name of equality and integration. Professor William Darity, Jr. provided expert commentary for the report.

WalletHub examined 10 key indicators of progress, ranging from median annual income to homeownership rates to voter turnout and created two rankings lists: state rankings based on racial integration and state rankings based on racial progress. North Carolina, which is home to Duke University, was ranked 16th and ninth, respectively.

When asked why some states have been more successful than others in addressing racial inequalities, Darity said, "I can't think of one (reason in particular), especially with respect to wealth. The corresponding issue is whether any of these problems can be solved by unilateral action by a single state. I think not." 

Darity's, whose research focuses on topics such as stratification economics and skin shade and labor market outcomes, is the Samuel DuBois Cook Professor of Public Policy, African American Studies, and Economics, and director of the Samuel DuBois Cook Center on Social Equity at Duke University.