When it comes to racism in America, we can all agree that we are better off without it.  Even though we have come so far, we still have a long way to go when it comes to racial equality.

A 2019 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center found that:

45 percent of Americans say the U.S. hasn’t done enough to give black Americans equal rights to white Americans. In addition, 58 percent of Americans think race relations are “generally bad” and 53 percent think they are getting worse.

Data crunchers Wallet Hub set out to quantify the country's progress in regards to racism and the results are pretty surprising.  They measured each state (and the District of Columbia) using 21 key indicators of equality and integration - looking at everything from median annual income to scores on standardized-tests to voter turnout.

As it turns out we have some of the best and the worst, in regards to the battle against racism, right here in the Ark-La-Tex.  In terms of racial integration, New Mexico topped the list.  Texas scored very high in this category, coming in at number 4.  Louisiana found itself closer to the bottom of the list at #41.

When it comes to what the survey called racial "progress," the Lone Star State did well again, this time coming in at #2 just behind Wyoming.  Louisiana also fared much better on this list, placing slightly higher than half of the class at #20.

It's worth delving into the methodology of this study and understanding the complexities behind the scoring, but on the surface - it seems like Texas is leading the way when it it comes to racial equality in the Ark-La-Tex.

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