Study ranks Mississippi as one of top states for gaining racial progress

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – As Americans commemorate the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., many are reflecting on the change King stood for.

According to a Wallet Hub study, Mississippi is one of the top states in the country that has gained racial progress.

But a political science professor says the numbers can be misleading.

According to wallethub.com, Mississippi ranks 5th in the U.S. for gaining racial progress.

The study measured how far each state closed the racial gaps in income, health, socio-economics, and civic engagement.

MUW political science professor Doctor Chanley Rainey said the disparities between the races were big to begin with.

She also pointed out that the numbers may not tell all, because each state is different.

“Our peers are really the other deep south states,” said Dr Rainey. “Those are the ones who started out with massive plantations with governments designed to keep black folk down after slavery, we had the Jim Crow politics, our demographics are the same.

Dr. Rainey said one way you can tell if racial progress has been made in a state is by looking at the demographics of that state’s legislature.