In this article, we will look at the 25 least racist states in the US.
In a previous article, we looked at some of the least racist countries in the world. It was surprising to see the United States as one of the least racist countries in the world, given its history of black slavery and discrimination against African Americans. However, it is also true that the United States is known as the land of dreams, and people immigrate from all parts of the world. It has an ethnic fractionalization of 49%, which means that if you choose two people at random in the United States, there is a 49% chance that they will belong to different ethnicities. According to the latest estimates from the US Census Bureau, nearly 75.5% of the population is comprised of whites alone in America. African Americans comprise 13.6% of the population, and the rest comprise Hispanics, Latinos, and Asians.
Americans have traditionally discriminated against African Americans, whose ancestors arrived here as slaves. The remains of its racist past still lurk and show up in incidents such as George Floyd’s murder. However, it is also true that one of the most popular presidents of the United States in recent history is an African American. America’s complex history with racism may be hard to grasp, but it is easy to see that the country is working towards improving and eliminating racism. The United States is a signatory of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), Which was presented more than 50 years ago. However, admittedly, much needs to be done to promote racial equality.
It seems that while racial discrimination is present in various forms in the country, there is at least a realization of the need to do better. Recently, the current President, Joseph Biden, raised his voice against systemic racism and said that it is costly, destructive, and corrosive. The statement about systemic racism being costly is corroborated by a study by Citi Bank. According to this study, in the two decades following the year 2000, the United States lost a total of $16 trillion, averaging around $0.8 trillion per year, because of discrimination against African Americans. This sum is comparable to the GDP of some of the developed countries and goes on to show just how expensive systemic racism is. In addition, the people of the United States lost an estimated 6.1 million jobs during the same period because of racist practices.
However, as we have previously seen, the business community realizes that racial equality is good for business and discrimination is costly. So, following the killing of George Floyd, many companies in the United States vowed to work against racism. One of the leading companies among these was Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: APPL), which committed $100 million to its new racial justice initiative. In 2021, as part of this racial justice initiative, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:APPL) announced the launch of several projects. It also announced a new Apple Developer Academy in Detroit aimed at helping African Americans acquire coding skills. In addition, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:APPL) also announced two investments. The first was a $10 million investment with an early-stage VC fund, Harlem Capital. This investment will support 1,000 companies in over 20 years. The second investment announcement of $25 million was with Siebert Williams Shank & Co’s Clear Vision Impact Fund, which invests in minority-owned medium-sized businesses.
Another company that made financial commitments towards racial equality was Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG). As a follow-up of the commitment, in 2021, it partnered with Opportunity Finance Network and allocated $9 million in loans and grants for Black-owned businesses. In addition, Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s YouTube also announced its first investment geared toward amplifying black creators. Later in the year, the company allocated $60 million in capital to black-led organizations. This investment is part of Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s $100 million commitment towards black-led startups and investment firms.
While the United States might appear a racist country, much is being done to counter racism on a policy and practical level. Some of the states in the United States are very well suited for people of all races. With that background, let’s look at the 25 least racist states in the US.
Copyright: gstockstudio / 123RF Stock Photo
Methodology
To determine the least racist states in the US, we used three indexes. The first was the SDG index, which scored US states according to their racial inclusion. The index scored each state out of 50. The higher the score, the less racist the state. Next, we used World Population Review’s ranking, which scored each state out of 80 based on racial equality. The higher the score, the less racist a state is. We converted these scores so that they were out of 50. The next index we used was the HUB Score’s rating of each state. It rated racism in each state as one of the following: Much less than average, below average, average, above average, and much more than average. We allocated a score of 50, 40, 30, 20, and 10 to each of these ratings respectively. Then, for each state, we calculated our own anti-racism score by averaging scores from all the indexes.
25 – New York
Anti-racism score – 33
Although New York has made it to the list of the least racist states in the US, much needs to be done to improve racial inclusion and equality. According to Hub Score, there is an average level of racism in the state. In addition, World Population Review also scores it 59.79 out of 80 in terms of racial equality.
24 – New Jersey
Anti-racism score – 33
Much like New York, alot needs to be done to promote racial justice in New Jersey. However, the state has some of the most progressive laws when it comes to social and racial justice. Its Non-Discrimination Rule prevents police officers from considering a person’s race and ethnicity as a factor of involvement in criminal activities.
23 – Maryland
Anti-racism score – 34
Maryland is one of the top four least racist states according to the World Population Review. However, it is interesting that according to Hub Score, there is above-average racism in the state. At the same time, it is the 15th least racist state according to the SDG index.
22 – West Virginia
Anti-racism score – 34
While West Virginia is among the least diverse states, it has made it to the list of least racist states in the United States. In addition, while it is one of the least diverse states in the United States, it is rated among the top states for racial equality in education because more Black Americans in the state than White people have at least a high school degree.
21 – Kansas
Anti-racism score – 34
Much is being done in Kansas to promote racial justice. The Kansas Racial Equity Collaborative, for example, is working on building multi-disciplinary knowledge and accountability to achieve equitable outcomes for people of color. In addition, the state’s governor, Laura Kelly, has formed the Commission on Racial Equity and Justice Report, which studies issues of racial equity and justice in the state.
20 – Connecticut
Anti-racism score – 34
While Connecticut is the 20th least racist state in the US, racist propaganda in the state is on the rise. Some incidents of white supremacists distributing flyers have been reported in the state. However, the Government has a dedicated Racial Equity and Justice Taskforce that identifies racial inequalities and injustices and provides proposals to improve them.
19 – Oklahoma
Anti-racism score – 34
According to Hub Score, there is an average level of racism in Oklahoma state, but World Population Review gives it a score of 65.54 out of 80. Oklahoma is a fairly diverse state, as according to the United States Census Bureau, the state has around 8% black, and 9.5% American Indian and Alaska Native population.
18 – Minnesota
Anti-racism score – 35
According to Hub Score, Minnesota has less than average levels of racism. However, there is alot of room for improvement, as the unemployment rates, wages incarceration rates, test scores, and home ownership disparities between whites and blacks are among the highest in the United States.
17 – California
Anti-racism score – 35
California is actively working to eradicate racial discrimination. In 2020, its government passed a pair of state laws that offer relief from racial bias in the courts. These laws were introduced after years of continued work by the California Healing Justice Program and legislators.
16 – North Dakota
Anti-racism score – 35
According to Hub Score, North Dakota has a less-than-average level of racism. However, the SDG index ranks it at 37th position out of the 50 states in terms of racial equality and inclusion.
15 – New Mexico
Anti-racism score – 36
New Mexico’s scores are exceptionally high in the world population review, making it the 15th least racist state according to our methodology. According to Hub Score, there is an average level of racism in the state, and the SDG index ranks it in the 22nd position in terms of racial equality and inclusion.
14 – Alaska
Anti-racism score – 36
Alaska is the 8th least racist state according to World Population Review. However, according to Hub Score, the state has an average level of racism. Alaskan government and organizations such as Healthy Alaskans are actively working to promote racial equity in various life aspects.
13 – Arizona
Anti-racism score – 37
It is interesting that while Arizona is the number one least racist state according to the World Population Review, Hub Score notes that there is an average level of racism in the state. Having said that, many organizations in the state are actively working to eliminate racial discrimination. One of these is the Arizona Faith Network.
12 – Utah
Anti-racism score – 37
According to Hub Score, Utah has less than average racism. Much is being done in the state to promote racial equity. The Utah State Board of Education, for example, has committed itself to identifying, examining, and working against the issues of race, ethnicity, and color in the education system.
11 – Massachusetts
Anti-racism score – 38
Massachusetts is the 11th least racist state in the United States. The government has a dedicated office for Race, Equity, and Inclusion, which works to advance racial equity and social justice in the state.
10 – Maine
Anti-racism score – 39
Maine has consistent scores across all the three indexes we used in our methodology, making it the 10th least racist state in the United States. According to Hub Score, the state has less than average racism and is the 5th best according to the SDG index.
9 – Wyoming
Anti-racism score – 40
Wyoming scores high in the World Population Review, but it is the 16th least racist state according to the SDG index. While the state is progressing in terms of racial equity, much needs to be done in terms of poverty and quality education among people of color.
8 – Colorado
Anti-racism score – 40
Colorado scores high in the world Population Ranking, and according to Hub Score, there is less than average racism in the state. The state has many organizations, such as the Institute For Racial Equity and Excellence, which raise awareness for the cause of racial equity.
7 – Oregon
Anti-racism score – 40
Oregon is the second least racist state according to the SDG index. The State fares exceptionally well in racial equity in food access, and according to Hub Score, it has less than average racism. `
6 – Hawaii
Anti-racism score – 41
According to the SDG index, Hawai is the best state in terms of racial equality. However, according to Hub Score, the level of racism in Hawaii is average. At the same time, World Population Review also rates Hawaii as the second-best state for racial equity.
5 – Montana
Anti-racism score – 41
Montana is one of the top 5 least racist states in the United States. Many statewide organizations, such as The Montana Racial Equity Project, are working to eliminate whatever forms of racism are present in society.
4 – Washington
Anti-racism score – 41
Washington’s scores across all the indexes are similar, making it the fourth least racist state in the United States. According to Hub Score, there is less than average racism in the state. World Population Review ranks it as the ninth least racist state, and the SDG index rates it as the 7th least racist state.
3 – New Hampshire
Anti-racism score – 42
According to Hub Score, there is much less than average racism in New Hampshire, making it one of the three least racist states in the United States. It is rated as the 7th least racist state by the SDG index.
2 – Vermont
Anti-racism score – 44
Vermont, the second least racist state in the United States, is also ranked fourth by the SDG index in terms of racial equality. According to Hub Score, there is much less than average racism in the state.
1 – Idaho
Anti-racism score – 45
The least racist state in the United States is Idaho. Hub Score notes that there is much less than average racism in the state, and the SDG Index ranks it third.
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Disclosure: none. 25 Least Racist States in the US is originally published on Insider Monkey
