This piece is part of my 2016–2026 archive migration. Some original formatting, content, and external links may be missing, changed, or not be optimized.
You thought
Ummm nope.
Not even close, buddy.
If a state is more than 87% white- it is not that diverse (source).
Even a resident told me the state demographic is homogenous, which I experienced when I was there about two months ago.
There were many days I did not see a single person of color.
Did it bother me? No, but it would bother many people of color who are not used to being the only person of color in their environment.
Montana Demographics
Montana is about 87% white (source).
It’s not bad, but it also means they’re not that diverse.
And can you blame them?
Many people don’t enjoy the cold and aren’t built for it, and let me tell you, it sure as heck gets cold in Montana, but I happen to love that type of weather.
But why did this White guy think Montana was diverse?
When You’re White, Sometimes You Miss Things
Okay, maybe you miss things frequently.
The majority tends to see things differently than minorities; this conversation was a classic example.
Not only does this guy believe the state is diverse, he feels they’re making loads of progress on the diversity front, which just isn’t the case.
Montana is still severely homogenous.
White Women Turned A Blind Eye To Black Women’s Issues
My conversation with this guy reminds me of why the Black feminist movement came about.
Unfortunately, many white women assumed that black women had the exact same issues as them.
They did have the same issues as them, plus many other issues that the white women weren’t prioritizing or experiencing themselves.
The empathy for black women was not strong enough.
Hence, they had to create a group for themselves.
Sometimes, the majority miss things.
A Little Progress Is A Lot Of Progress To The Majority
In the case of the guy I had a conversation with, he saw a sprinkle of color here and there and thought the place was diverse because he was used to seeing 99% of his kind.
But now that he saw a few specks of color, he felt Montana was officially diverse.
Wrong.
The one or few poc in Montana don’t make it a diverse state.
The one or few poc in the tv show or movie doesn’t make the film diverse.
The one or few poc on the work team doesn’t make the team diverse.
The one or few poc on the executive leadership team doesn’t make the team diverse.
A few commercials with interracial relationships involving poc don’t mitigate the damage perpetuated by previous media campaigns.
A few poc can’t solve the diversity problem.
I think it’s fair to say Montana will be a diverse state once they have residents of all colors, cultures, and backgrounds to recalibrate its overwhelming 87% homogenous demographic.
Side Note
If you’ve never been to Montana, you need to go. The place is quite magical. And the people are quite friendly.
An intriguing example of perpetuated societal norms
This content is for informational purposes only — not professional advice. Consult a qualified professional before making any major decisions.