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0:00
Raising a family is a challenge that
0:02
requires access to quality education,
0:04
safe neighborhoods, affordable housing,
0:06
reliable health care, and economic
0:09
opportunity. For black families in
0:10
America, these essentials are often
0:12
harder to secure due to systematic
0:14
racial disparities that persist in many
0:16
regions. Numerous reports and data sets
0:18
from the US Census Bureau, FBA crime
0:21
statistics, the CDC, and education
0:24
assessments paint a sobering picture of
0:26
the states where the black family faced
0:27
the greatest obstacles. In today's
0:29
videos, we look at the top 10 worst
0:31
states to raise a black family
0:33
considering educational quality, home
0:35
ownership, affordability, healthc care
0:37
access, and of course, safety. Hi, my
0:40
name is Jared and welcome to Black
0:41
Excellence, where we celebrate all the
0:43
ways black people pursue excellence in
0:45
their everyday lives. If you're
0:46
searching for ways to fuel your own
0:48
journey of excellence with content on
0:50
where to live, where to travel,
0:52
lifestyle trends, and unconventional
0:54
ways to do it all, you know what to do.
0:56
Hit that subscribe button and join our
0:58
circle of excellence. This list, of
1:00
course, is in no particular order, but
1:02
you know, this first state was going to
1:04
be on here somewhere. At number one, we
1:06
have Mississippi. Mississippi ranks
1:08
consistently near the bottom in economic
1:11
opportunity and quality of life for
1:13
black families. According to the US
1:14
Census Bureau, Mississippi's median
1:17
household income for black families is
1:19
just over $35,000,
1:22
significantly lower than the national
1:24
median of approximately 47,000 for black
1:27
households. Education remains a major
1:30
major hurdle. The state's average high
1:32
school graduation rate for black
1:34
students is about 70%, trailing the
1:36
national average of 85%. Schools serving
1:39
majority black communities often suffer
1:42
from chronic underfunding, resulting in
1:44
fewer advanced courses, outdated
1:47
materials, and high teacher turnover
1:49
rate. The National Assessment of
1:50
Educational Progress shows black
1:52
students in Mississippi scoring well
1:54
below proficiency in math and reading
1:56
compared to their white peers. Home
1:58
ownership rates for blacks in
2:00
Mississippi stand at just about 34%,
2:03
below the national black home ownership
2:05
rate of 42%. Historical redlinining and
2:08
ongoing lending discrimination continue
2:10
to limit access to mortgage financing.
2:13
Even though Mississippi's housing is
2:14
generally affordable, many black
2:16
families face barriers due to low credit
2:18
scores and limited wealth accumulation.
2:21
Health care disparities compound
2:23
challenges. Mississippi has the highest
2:25
percentage of uninsured residents in the
2:27
nation with approximately 15% of black
2:30
adults lacking health insurance. This
2:32
lack of coverage contributes to the
2:34
disproportionately high rates of chronic
2:36
disease like diabetes and hypertension.
2:39
The state also records some of the
2:41
highest infant mortality rates with
2:43
black infants dying at more than twice
2:45
the rate of white infants. Safety
2:47
concerns are also acute. The FBI's 2023
2:51
uniform crime reporting data shows
2:53
violent crime rates are nearly 50%
2:56
higher than the national average with
2:58
black communities often
2:59
disproportionately affected. This type
3:01
of environment only exaggerates stress
3:04
and trauma for families trying to build
3:06
stability. At number two, we're headed
3:08
to Wisconsin. Wisconsin constantly ranks
3:11
as one of the worst states for black
3:13
families due to pervasive and
3:15
significant racial disparities across
3:17
nearly every major indicator of
3:19
well-being. These disparities are often
3:21
among the largest in the nation,
3:23
indicating deep-seated systematic issues
3:26
that disadvantage black residents
3:28
compared to their white counterparts.
3:30
While Wisconsin might rank well overall
3:32
in some metrics, these averages mask a
3:35
stark reality for their black
3:37
population. One of the most alarming
3:39
areas of disparity is again education.
3:42
Wisconsin holds the regrettable
3:44
distinction of having the widest
3:46
achievement gap in the US for math and
3:48
reading scores between black and white
3:50
students. For instance, recent data
3:53
shows that black fourth grade students
3:55
in Wisconsin score an average of 45
3:57
points lower than their white peers in
3:59
reading and black eighth graders scored
4:02
39% lower. Similar disparities exist in
4:05
math with black fourth grade students
4:07
scoring 47 points lower and eighth
4:10
graders scoring 50 points lower than
4:12
their white counterparts. These gaps
4:14
translate into significantly lower high
4:16
school graduation rates for black
4:18
students. 29% not graduating on time for
4:21
black children versus 6% for white
4:24
children and a substantial lack of
4:26
proficiency in core subjects severely
4:28
limiting future opportunities. And I'm
4:30
sorry, this problem is only compounding
4:33
worse and worse and worse. What's going
4:35
to happen when we get to AI? Black
4:36
households in Wisconsin experience a
4:38
median income that is significantly
4:40
lower than white households. As of 2019,
4:44
the median income for black households
4:46
was around $31,351
4:49
compared to the 64,927
4:52
for non-Hispanic white households. And
4:55
this gap has only widened over the last
4:57
decade. Consequently, black residents
4:59
face much higher poverty rates with
5:01
around 27% living in poverty compared to
5:04
just 9% of white residents. Housing
5:07
further illustrates the disparity.
5:09
Wisconsin has one of the worst black
5:11
home ownership rates in the country at
5:13
around 25% compared to the national
5:15
average of 44% of black households. And
5:18
the black white home ownership gap in
5:20
Wisconsin is a staggering 47 percentage
5:23
points, significantly wider than the
5:25
national gap of 30 points. And don't
5:27
even get us started about the justice
5:29
system and the health care sectors that
5:31
rever severe inequities. Wisconsin leads
5:34
the nation in black incarceration rates
5:36
with one in every 36 black Wisconsinites
5:39
in prison, meaning black people are
5:41
nearly 12 times more likely to be
5:43
incarcerated than white people. This is
5:45
a significantly higher disparity than
5:48
the national average. The hyper
5:49
incarceration is not solely due to the
5:51
higher crime rates, but also to
5:53
disproportionate arrest rates. For
5:55
example, black individuals are 11 times
5:57
more likely to be arrested than white
5:59
individuals in Day County alone. and get
6:03
harsher sentencing. In healthcare, black
6:04
families in Wisconsin face alarming
6:06
disparities, particularly in maternal
6:09
and infant health. The pregnancy related
6:11
death rate for black mothers is five
6:13
times higher compared to white mothers.
6:16
And the black infants are 2.7 times more
6:19
likely to die in their first year of
6:21
life than white infants. And number
6:23
three, we're moving to Louisiana.
6:25
Louisiana's black families face
6:26
significant barriers rooted in education
6:29
inequities and public safety issues. The
6:31
median income for black households in
6:34
Louisiana is approximately $38,000
6:37
below both the state median of 51,000
6:40
and national averages. Education
6:43
disparities remain stark. The state's
6:45
black high school graduation rate is
6:47
about 71% lagging behind white students
6:50
at 86%. Funding gaps leave schools in
6:53
predominantly black neighborhoods
6:55
struggling with overcrowding and a lack
6:57
of resources. According to the Louisiana
6:59
Department of Education, only 28% of
7:02
black students are proficient in math
7:04
and 32% in reading on standardized
7:07
tests. Home ownership rates for black
7:09
Louisiana is roughly 37% despite low
7:13
housing costs in many areas. Decades of
7:16
discriminatory housing policies and
7:18
economic inequity limit home ownership
7:21
wealth building. Healthc care access is
7:23
problematic. The CDC reports that black
7:26
residents in Louisiana suffer from
7:28
disproportionately high rates of
7:30
obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
7:32
Public safety issues weigh heavily in
7:34
Louisiana. Also, New Orleans with a
7:37
large black population experience a
7:40
violent crime rate over twice the
7:42
national average in 2023. According to
7:44
the FBI data, high homicide rates and
7:47
property crime disproportionately impact
7:50
black families, limiting neighborhood
7:52
stability and safety. At number four, we
7:54
have another deep south state where
7:56
black families just don't fare so well,
7:58
and that would be Alabama. Alabama's
8:00
black families experience persistent
8:02
challenges across education, health, and
8:05
housing. The median income for black
8:07
households in Alabama is around 39,000
8:10
compared to the state's median of
8:12
$52,000.
8:14
Educational outcomes for black students
8:16
lag. The state's graduation rate for
8:18
black youth is approximately 72% lower
8:22
than the national average. The Alabama
8:24
State Department of Education reports
8:26
that black students have limited access
8:28
to advanced placement courses and often
8:30
attend schools with lower per student
8:32
spending. Home ownership rates for black
8:35
residents, just 38%. Health disparities
8:38
are pronounced in this state. Alabama
8:40
has one of the highest rates of
8:41
uninsured black adults at 16%. Black
8:44
Alamians also face higher rates of
8:46
maternal mortality and chronic disease
8:49
such as hypertension. Access to quality
8:52
health care remains limited in rural
8:54
areas where many black families reside.
8:56
Safety is another concern. According to
8:58
FBI data, cities like Birmingham and
9:01
Mobile report violent crime rates of 40
9:03
to 50% above the national averages,
9:06
disproportionately impacting black
9:08
neighborhoods again and compounding
9:10
family stress. At number five, we have
9:12
Ohio. Ohio is constantly identified as
9:15
one of the most challenging states for
9:17
black families, marked by pervasive and
9:19
often widening racial disparities across
9:21
crucial aspects of life. These
9:23
disparities point the deep-seated
9:25
systematic issues that create
9:27
significant barriers for black
9:28
residents. Education in Ohio reflects
9:31
significant racial gaps. Black students
9:33
consistently lag behind their white
9:35
peers in standardized test scores and
9:38
graduation rates. These achievement gaps
9:40
are often attributed to disparities in
9:42
school funding. The long-term
9:44
consequences of these educational
9:46
disparities are severe, impacting future
9:48
economic mobility and overall
9:50
well-being. Economically, black families
9:53
in Ohio face substantial challenges.
9:55
There is a persistent income gap with
9:57
black households having significantly
9:59
lower median incomes compared to white
10:01
households. The state's housing market
10:03
also presents significant hurdles for
10:05
black families. Ohio has a widening home
10:08
ownership gap between black and white
10:10
residents, reaching 37 percentage points
10:13
by 2021, which again is larger than the
10:16
national average. Black Ohioans are also
10:18
more likely to be denied mortgage loan
10:20
applications compared to white
10:22
applicants. And black mortgage holders
10:24
are twice as likely to be severely house
10:27
poor or costburdened, which means
10:29
spending more than half of their income
10:31
on housing. Finally, Ohio's criminal
10:34
justice system exhibits stark racial
10:36
disparities. Black Americans in Ohio are
10:39
incarcerated in state prisons at more
10:41
than five times the rate of whites.
10:43
Black Ohioans make up 45% of the state's
10:46
prison population despite being only 12%
10:48
of the state's total population. Again,
10:51
these figures underscore deeprooted
10:53
biases in policing, sentences, and bail
10:56
practices that disproportionately impact
10:58
black communities and lead to higher
11:00
rates of incarceration, which in turn
11:02
destabilizes families and limits future
11:05
opportunities. At number six, we have
11:07
Arkansas. Arkansas presents significant
11:10
challenges for black families,
11:12
especially in rural communities. The
11:14
median black household income in
11:16
Arkansas is about 37,000 whereas the
11:19
state median is 49,000. Education in
11:22
Arkansas struggles with underfunded
11:24
schools and achievement gaps. The
11:27
graduation rate for black students is
11:28
near 70% with many facing inadequate
11:31
school facilities and limited
11:33
extracurricular opportunities. NAP data
11:36
indicate black students score below
11:38
proficiency in key subjects. Home
11:40
ownership among blacks in Arkansas is
11:42
roughly 34%. While housing costs are
11:45
affordable, poverty and a lack of stable
11:47
employment limit home buying power and
11:50
asset building. And what do you know?
11:52
Healthc care access in this state is
11:54
uneven again, especially in rural areas.
11:57
Uninsured rates among black adults
11:59
reached 15%. What comes with a lot of
12:01
uninsured people? Higher rates of
12:03
preventable chronic diseases in the
12:06
black community. Violent crime rates are
12:08
elevated in urban centers like Little
12:10
Rock, where black families often reside
12:12
in higher risk neighborhoods, adding to
12:14
instability and again stress. At number
12:17
seven, we have South Carolina. South
12:19
Carolina's black families face
12:20
systematic inequalities in education,
12:23
home ownership, and health. Black
12:25
household median income is about
12:27
$40,000, well below the state median of
12:30
$53,000. Black students graduate high
12:33
school at a rate near 71%, lower than
12:36
white students at 87%. Schools serving
12:38
black communities receive less funding
12:41
and report lower standardized test
12:43
scores. Black home ownership rates stand
12:45
at approximately 39%. Limited by
12:48
economic disparities and historical
12:50
housing discrimination. Health care
12:52
challenges persist with high uninsured
12:55
rates and again elevated rates of
12:58
chronic illness and infant mortality in
13:01
black communities. Crime remains a
13:03
concern in cities like Colombia and
13:05
Charleston with violent crime rates
13:07
above national averages
13:08
disproportionately affecting who other
13:11
than black neighborhoods. At number
13:13
eight, another Midwest state, we have
13:15
Michigan. Michigan actually presents a
13:18
complex picture for black families,
13:20
often ranking among the states with
13:22
significant racial disparities that
13:24
hinder well-being and opportunity. While
13:26
the state has made some efforts to
13:28
address these issues, the data reveals
13:31
persistent challenges across crucial
13:33
sectors, including the justice system,
13:35
education, housing, healthcare, and
13:38
economic opportunity. One of the most
13:40
striking areas of concern is Michigan's
13:42
criminal justice system. Black people in
13:44
Michigan are disproportionately
13:46
represented at every stage of the legal
13:49
process. They constitute about 15% of
13:52
Michigan's residents, but make up 30% of
13:54
people in jail, and a staggering 53% of
13:58
people in prison. This over
13:59
representation stems from factors such
14:01
as racial profiling, harsher sentencing
14:04
for similar offenses, and limited access
14:06
to adequate legal representation,
14:08
leading to widespread family disruption,
14:10
and diminished economic prospects for
14:13
black communities. Education in Michigan
14:15
also reflects deep racial achievement
14:17
gaps. While specific numerical gaps can
14:19
fluctuate, studies consistently show
14:21
that black students in Michigan lag
14:23
behind their white peers in academic
14:25
proficiency and graduation rates.
14:27
Factors contributing to this disparity
14:30
include unequal school funding, which
14:32
often disadvantages districts with
14:34
higher concentrations of black students
14:36
and a lack of access to experienced and
14:39
highqualified teachers in predominantly
14:41
black schools. For instance, a 2025
14:43
analysis found that students in schools
14:45
serving majority black populations were
14:48
nearly four times more likely to learn
14:50
from educators teaching outside of their
14:53
fields of study and nearly twice as
14:55
likely to learn from less experienced
14:57
teachers. These educational inequalities
15:00
create significant long-term barriers to
15:02
higher education and stable employment.
15:04
In the realm of housing, Michigan
15:06
exhibits substantial black white home
15:08
ownership gap. Again, recent reports
15:10
indicate this gap is around 31 to 34
15:13
percentage points. And we all know that
15:15
this disparity is crucial because home
15:17
ownership is a primary driver of
15:20
intergenerational wealth accumulation
15:22
and stability. Black and Hispanic
15:24
applicants in Michigan face
15:25
significantly higher rates of mortgage
15:28
denial compared to white applicants, 21%
15:31
versus like 11%. Economically, while
15:34
Michigan has seen some improvements,
15:36
earning gaps with white non-Hispanic
15:38
workers have persisted, black households
15:40
continue to face lower median incomes
15:42
and higher poverty rates compared to
15:44
white households, undermining their
15:46
financial stability and overall
15:48
well-being. And number nine, we have
15:50
Oklahoma. Oklahoma struggles with high
15:52
poverty among black families and
15:54
significant health care and educational
15:57
inequities. Median black household
15:58
income is about 38,000 while graduation
16:02
rates for black students hover near 68%
16:05
which is the lowest graduation rate on
16:07
this list. Economic opportunities for
16:10
black families in Oklahoma are also
16:12
severely limited. Black Oklahomaans
16:14
experience significantly higher rates of
16:17
poverty compared to white residents.
16:19
Recent data indicates that over 28% of
16:21
black Oklahomaans live in poverty
16:24
compared to around 13.4% 4% of white
16:27
Oklahomaans. Home ownership is around
16:29
36% limited by poverty and a lack of
16:32
opportunity. Healthc care access is
16:34
limited with 16% of black adults
16:36
uninsured and elevated rates of
16:38
preventable diseases. Violent crime
16:40
disproportionately affects black
16:42
neighborhoods in Tulsa and Oklahoma
16:44
City. And last but not least, we have
16:47
Indiana. Indiana consistently appears on
16:50
the list of states with the largest
16:52
racial disparities, indicating that
16:54
while state's overall performance might
16:56
seem average, it mass a profoundly
16:58
unequal experience for its black
17:00
residents. Indiana has one of the
17:02
highest black male incarceration rates
17:04
in the nation. While black males
17:06
comprise around 4.5% of the state's
17:09
population, they represent over 32% of
17:12
the incarcerated offenders in state
17:14
prisons. Indiana's health care system
17:17
performs significantly worse for black
17:19
people than for white people. Black
17:22
males in Indiana have the highest
17:23
mortality rates and disproportionately
17:26
suffer from chronic diseases like
17:28
obesity, high blood pressure, and
17:30
diabetes. Black students are
17:32
disciplined, suspended, and expelled at
17:34
disproportionately higher rates than any
17:38
other ethnic groups, which of course
17:40
impacts their academic progress and
17:42
contributes to higher dropout rates. And
17:44
of course, this early funneling into
17:46
disciplinary systems sets a negative
17:49
trajectory. Black households in Indiana
17:51
experience substantial income gaps and
17:54
higher poverty rates. Black males in
17:56
particular face higher rates of
17:58
unemployment and underemployment,
18:00
coupled with a lack of job readiness and
18:03
education, contributing to overall
18:05
economic instability for black families.
18:08
The median household wealth for Indiana
18:10
as a whole ranks among the least
18:12
wealthiest states in the country and
18:14
these challenges are compounded for
18:16
black households. Indianapolis data
18:18
reveals that white residents are around
18:20
2/3 homeowners compared to only onethird
18:24
of black residents. This residential
18:26
home ownership gap limits wealth
18:28
accumulation for black families.
18:30
Segregation and a lack of investment in
18:32
predominantly black neighborhoods also
18:34
contribute to poor living conditions and
18:37
limited access to resources. The states
18:39
we talked about today consistently fail
18:41
to provide black families with the
18:43
educational quality, housing stability,
18:46
health care access, affordability, and
18:48
safety needed to thrive. While
18:50
individual communities and families show
18:53
resilience and success, systematic
18:55
barriers continue to impose real limits
18:58
on opportunities and well-being. If you
19:00
live in any of these states, let me know
19:02
in the comments what your experience has
19:04
been. Somebody somewhere or all the
19:06
billionaires need to get together and
19:08
fix this issue because it's going to
19:10
benefit everybody once we do. That's it
19:12
for this episode. We'll see you on the
19:14
next one. Don't forget to like and
19:15
subscribe. Go find me on Instagram and
19:17
follow. and we'll catch you on the next
#Discrimination & Identity Relations