No state worse than Wisconsin for black children, says new national study

For African-American children seeking a better future, no state looks worse than Wisconsin.

A new national report shows that children of color face enormous barriers to educational and financial achievement — with Wisconsin ranking last in the disparity between white children and their non-white peers.

White children growing up in Wisconsin ranked 10th among the states in an index measuring 12 key indicators at various stages of life, including home situation, educational skills and income.

But Wisconsin ranks 50th for black children, 37th for Asian children and 17th for Latino children, according to the study from the Annie E. Casey Foundation titled “Race for Results: Building a Path to Opportunity for All Children.”

Wisconsin ranks with Michigan and Mississippi for the worst record on African-American achievement.

While alarming, the findings in the new Casey report are not new. The Wisconsin Council on Children and Families' Race to Equity report, directed by Erica Nelson, recently identified the same sort of racial divide in liberal Dane County, one of the wealthiest counties in the state.

Ken Taylor, executive director of WCCF, says Wisconsin is a state that has long claimed to value opportunity and fairness for all its citizens. But in a statement pegged to the Casey report, he says scoring worst in the nation for the well-being of black children is unacceptable.

“Surely Wisconsin can do better than this,” he says.