Racism, characterized by prejudice or discrimination based on race, involves the belief that one’s race is superior and others are inferior. Measuring racism in a specific region is challenging, as it cannot be quantified.
While polls and surveys can provide insights, their accuracy may vary. Alternative indicators collected by sources, namely SPLC and Floating Sheep, include instances of hate crimes and hate speech, which can also be utilized to identify regions where racism is most pronounced.
Researchers studied the number of racist tweets related to reelections, focusing on tweets from different states. They counted how many of these hate tweets were posted and grouped them by state. This helped them understand how much racism was being expressed on Twitter and in general.
To measure this, they compare the proportion of racist tweets in a state to its total tweets. If a state scores 1.0, it means the number of racist tweets is similar to the number of non-racist tweets. A score higher than 1.0 shows that the state has more racist tweets than other types of tweets. This data helped identify which states had a higher level of racism on Twitter.
Additionally, the researchers considered the number of hate groups in each state. This added more context to understanding the extent of racism in different states.
It’s important to note that this is not a definitive way of categorization, and results may be different in real life.
This list goes from the least racist states to the most racist, in order and we included Washington D.C. in this ranking even though it is not a state but an important area for this conversation.
1. Alaska
Alaska occupies a position at the lower end of the spectrum, reporting a mere one hate group being the least racist state in the United States. The data suggests a relatively subdued manifestation of racism in the northernmost state.
2. New Mexico
New Mexico followed suit with one reported hate group and a low count of 1.6 racist post-election tweets, placing it among states with a comparatively moderate level of concern.
3. Iowa
Iowa, with two reported hate groups and a minimal 0.4 racist post-election tweets, also falls within the lower end of the ranking, indicating a nuanced but discernible presence of racism.
4. Utah
Coming in fourth is Utah, with two hate groups that can point towards some racism in the state. However, this is still relatively low in the United States.
5. North Dakota
North Dakota and Utah share a similar profile, each reporting two hate groups. However, North Dakota stands out with a higher count of 3.5 racist post-election tweets, signifying a slightly higher instance of racism.
6. Vermont
Tying with the last two states, Vermont also has two hate groups that have been reported. This suggests that racism is prevalent but on a smaller scale in comparison to the rest of the states.
7. Wyoming
Wyoming has the same number of hate groups as Vermont, showcasing that both the states might have the same prevalence of racism here.
8. Rhode Island
With three reported hate groups, Rhode Island provides a glimpse of a slightly elevated level of concern. However, specific data on racist post-election tweets are not available for comprehensive analysis.
9. Hawaii
Hawaii reports four hate groups, yet Hawaii lacks available data on racist post-election tweets, leaving its ranking to be determined by the presence of hate groups alone.
10. Montana
Montana also reports four hate groups, tying with Hawaii when it comes to the prevalence of racism in the state.
11. South Dakota
South Dakota has four hate groups, which means the previous two states and this one have the same ranking until other data is available.
12. Maine
Coming in at the twelfth position, Maine has reported the same number of hate groups four. However, it also has 0.9 racist post-election tweets, which shows a worsening attitude towards people of color.
13. Delaware
With four hate groups in this state, 1.3 tweets indicated racism post elections, which shows that Delaware has a rising racism problem.
14. Kansas
While it has the same number of hate groups as Delaware, four, there were 2.4 racist tweets in elections, which makes Kansas slightly worse than Delaware.
15. Idaho
With rising hate groups, Idaho comes in fifteenth on the list due to having six hate groups in the state. This indicates that racism might be more prevalent here than in the previous places.
16. New Hampshire
New Hampshire reports six hate groups and a relatively low count of 0.8 racist post-election tweets, marking it within the earlier stages of the ranking.
17. West Virginia
West Virginia, with six reported hate groups and 2.8 racist post-election tweets, exhibits a moderately heightened level of concern.
18. Connecticut
With seven reported hate groups and 0.5 racist post-election tweets, Connecticut shows clear indicators of racism, which is a cause for concern in the country.
19. Mississippi
Mississippi, with eight reported hate groups and a notable count of 7.4 racist post-election tweets, emerges as the ninth most racist state.
20. Nevada
The State of Nevada is coming in at the twentieth, known for Area 51. There are nine hate groups here and 0.5 tweets post-election, making it a cause for concern.
21. Oklahoma
Tying with Nevada is Oklahoma, with the same number of hate groups and tweets as the previous state.
22. Nebraska
Nebraska reports nine hate groups, revealing a deepening concern in the heartland of the country. With 1.1 racist tweets reported after the election, this agricultural state has worrying racist prevalence.
23. Arkansas
Even though the state of Arkansas has the same number of hate groups as the previous few states, the number of racist tweets is more significant, being 1.9, after the election. This makes it rank higher on the racism index.
24. Kentucky
Arkansas and Kentucky share the same profile, reporting nine hate groups and 1.9 racist post-election tweets, placing it within the mid-range of the ranking.
25. Minnesota
Also known as the “state of the hockey,” Minnesota has a racism problem that needs to be addressed. With nine hate groups and 2.7 racist tweets after the election, there is a rising concern for this state.
26. Oregon
In Oregon, the reported presence of 10 hate groups and 1.5 racist post-election tweets places the state within the mid-range of concern. This combination suggests a nuanced but discernible manifestation of racism.
27. Maryland
Moving to Maryland, the state’s 11 reported hate groups and 1.6 racist post-election tweets contribute to an intermediate level of concern. This data implies a moderately heightened manifestation of racism within the state.
28. New Jersey
New Jersey, with 12 reported hate groups and 0.5 racist post-election tweets, shows concerning levels of racism that should be addressed promptly.
29. Wisconsin
Wisconsin, also reporting 12 hate groups, exhibits an intermediate level of concern with 1.9 racist post-election tweets. This combination suggests a heightened manifestation of racism.
30. Alabama
Ranking thirtieth on the list is Alabama, despite its southern hospitality, which has a whopping 13 hate groups and a vast 8.1 demeaning and racist tweets after the election.
31. Indiana
Indiana, with 14 reported hate groups and a relatively low count of 0.3 racist post-election tweets, shows elevated racism.
32. Massachusetts
Home to the Salem Witch trials, Massachusetts reports a massive 14 hate groups and 0.5 racist post-election tweets.
33. Louisiana
While you visit the state of Louisiana for its mouth-watering Cajun food, it’s essential to be aware of the rising levels of discrimination against people of color. With 15 reported hate groups and 3.3 racist post-election tweets, it ranks thirty-third.
34. South Carolina
Home to several historical landmarks, South Carolina is no stranger to discrimination. With 17 hate groups in this state alone, it also has 1.4 racist tweets after the elections, showing worsening conditions.
35. District of Columbia
The District of Columbia, with 17 reported hate groups and 1.5 racist post-election tweets, is one of the states that fall in the mid categories when it comes to the prevalence of Racism.
36. Missouri
While eight states border Missouri, it has 17 hate groups and three racist post-election tweets, which should be worrying to the locals there.
37. Michigan
Michigan, with 18 reported hate groups and a relatively low count of 0.6 racist post-election tweets, falls within the mid-range of the ranking. The state’s data suggests a nuanced racial landscape.
38. Colorado
The state of Colorado ranks thirty-eighth on the list of the most racist states in the United States. With a whopping eighteen hate groups and 1.9 hateful tweets, it shows clear indicators of discrimination.
39. Washington
Washington is renowned for its cultural diversity, yet despite that, it has 19 reported hate groups and one racist post-election tweet, which portrays a discernible presence of racism.
40. Ohio
Ohio’s 1.4 racist post-election tweets and 20 hate groups highlight the significance of considering both hate group presence and instances of racist incidents for a comprehensive assessment.
41. Virginia
Beating Ohio by 0.1 is the state of Virginia with an equal number of hate groups, yet 1.5 post-election hateful tweets that are considered racist.
42. Arizona
Known for its Native American communities and immigration-related challenges, Arizona, with 22 reported hate groups and a minimal count of 0.2 racist post-election tweets, falls within the higher range of the ranking.
43. Illinois
Reporting 23 hate groups and 1.5 racist post-election tweets, Illinois indicates a high presence of racism. The state’s data shows the significance of considering multiple indicators for a comprehensive assessment.
44. Georgia
With 24 reported hate groups and a notable count of 3.6 racist post-election tweets, Georgia exhibits a heightened level of concern.
45. North Carolina
North Carolina, recognized for its vibrant university communities and agricultural history, faces the complexities of balancing tradition with progress in its racial dynamics. Reporting 28 hate groups and 1.5 racist post-election tweets, North Carolina ranks forty-fifth.
46. Tennessee
With 28 reported hate groups and 3.1 racist post-election tweets, Tennessee marks an intermediate level of concern.
47. Pennsylvania
One of the highest levels of racism is found in the state of Pennslyvania, with 30 hate groups and 0.7 racist post-election tweets. Immediate actions need to ensure that discrimination does not occur or is at least minimized.
48. New York
New York, a melting pot of cultures and ethnicities, has high levels of hate crimes. With 35 reported hate groups and a relatively low count of 0.3 racist post-election tweets, it’s one of the most racist states.
49. Texas
With 52 reported hate groups and 1.3 racist post-election tweets, Texas marks an intermediate level of concern.
50. Florida
Florida’s unique blend of urban and coastal communities reports 53 hate groups and 1.3 racist post-election tweets, which makes it the second-highest racist state.
51. California
California is considered to be one of the worst states when it comes to hate and racism. With 65 reported hate groups and 0.5 racist post-election tweets, it ranks first on the list.
