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Study says Tennessee is making gains toward racial parity

wallethub.com

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (OSBORNE)  --  A new study suggests Tennessee is making progress against its racial disparities, as the mid-state celebrates the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The personal finance website Wallethub.com ranks Tennessee 17th in the nation for racial progress, up two positions from last year.

Wallethub analyst Jill Gonzalez says Tennessee cracked the top ten when it comes to minority employment and wealth.

“The income gap is a little lower than most other states, as well as things like labor force participation rates, and unemployment rates.”

Gonzalez says Tennessee still needs to improve the level of civic engagement among non-whites. She notes, for example, that the state’s African-American residents still show below average rates of voter participation.

It may come as something of a surprise to learn that Tennessee’s Deep South neighbors are not the states currently showing the greatest levels of racial disparity. Gonzalez says most southern states score toward the middle of the 50 state list. Georgia and Kentucky have actually broken in to the top ten.

So what states are ranked at the bottom of the list?

“When we’re looking at the state that still have long way to go, those include a lot of Mid-western states: Michigan, Minnesota, Iowa, Maine and Wisconsin.”

One thing that hasn’t changed are American perceptions of racial parity.

A Pew Research Center study finds 9 in ten black Americans believe whites hold an unfair advantage. Better than half of all white say the nation has already achieved racial equality.

Would you like to review the complete Wallethub study?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYxEjRK1zvk&feature=youtu.be

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