The Most Racist Parts Of America, According To Google
By John Dodge
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A new study finds that the most racist parts of America are in areas that you probably would expect.
However, there are a few interesting points beyond the obvious.
The Chicago area has room to improve when it comes to racial tolerance.
The methodology is unique: The authors of the PLOS ONE study, analyzed Google searches to determine the levels of racism by region.
Basically, the more people who were searching a term commonly defined as racist, the higher the score. Specifically, the study broke down the frequency of searches containing the N-Word in 196 designated market areas (DMAs) in the United States.
"More colloquial forms of the "N-word" (i.e., ending in "-a" or "-as") were not included given prior analysis of top searches revealing that these versions were used in different contexts compared to searches of the term ending in "-er" or "-ers," the study said.
Mostly areas in the Deep South and parts of the Rust Belt were the most racist--the areas colored in red on the map. (Click to enlarge)
While the Chicago area was deemed to be less racist than the norm--colored in yellow, there were large parts of the country deemed as much more tolerant.
The original purpose of the study was to examine the effects of racism on the health of minorities.
"Racial disparities in health are well-documented and represent a significant public health concern in the U.S.," the study noted.
"Racism-related factors contribute to poorer health and higher mortality rates among Blacks compared to other racial groups. However, methods to measure racism and monitor its associations with health at the population-level have remained elusive."
