On one level, quantifying racism doesn’t make much sense. From the standpoint of individual experience, two people who suffer discrimination based on their ethnic status might feel equally violated even if the incident differs. Who can say one experienced “more racism” if both feel hurt?
But let’s consider the question at the macro level. Specifically, what is the most racist town/city in America?
I thought of this question a long time ago when I lived in Boston. The city puzzled me. I knew about the strong liberal sentiment among the populace, but I didn’t have to look far to see that racism was part of its historical core. For example, school integration was violently resisted by many of its white ethnic residents. In sports, the city has been home to some of the most extreme forms of racism — check out Howard Bryant‘s terrific book, Shut Out, in which he explores the longstanding bigotry in the Red Sox baseball organization. And I was surprised how openly some of the city’s African-American residents talked about experiencing racism at work, in bars, and on the streets.
Does it make sense to classify Boston on a racism index? Is it any different than other cities?
Before I share some social science thinking on the subject early next week, I turn this over to Freakonomics readers: In your opinion, what is the most racist city in America, and why?
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I pick Washington DC–too many deciders there inserting themselves not for a common good, but for a selective good. Those citizens still cannot have votes counted as a separate entity in the coming election.
Cue a bunch of well-meaning whites saying it’s their city and citing stuff like racially segregated neighborhoods and gentrification.
It is important to classify what is ‘racism’ as applied to a city. The most complaints of racism at work? What about cities with a history of police brutality? Is it racism just because black and white people live in different neighborhoods? And those neighborhoods have a contrasting medium income? Because New York City can take the cake in all those categories…
Oh and the sociological reasons behind why an ethnic group lives together in a neighborhood has to do with more than race (i would think). So just because there’s Chinatown in Flushing or Russians in Brighton Beach doesn’t mean the city is racist.. does it?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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This is a question that I find very difficult to answer, but I will note that there is a difference between a city being segregated and being racist. That’s not to say there is no correlation, as I’m sure there is, but the arguments for Chicago, St. Louis, and Milwaukee all use segregated neighborhoods as their measure. Is there another criterion we can add to try to address not just where people live, but also how residents feel about race?
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I agree with this notion. I know this is difficult/impossible to quantify but I think it is more relevant to whether a town is racist. I am in an inter-racial marriage and most of the racism experienced by my husband or his family is the type that is never reported and cannot be conclusively quantified by statistics
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i agree most areas are somewhat isolated from each other thats not clear racisim. I do have t note that where i live now in frederick MD whites and blacks get along pretty good and live eat and work in the same places
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As I was born and raised in South Louisiana, this is quite an interesting question for me. I’ve always thought it was New Orleans, despite its seeming diversity and laid back approach to morality. The fact is, in college, the most virulently racist guys I knew were generally from New Orleans or its suburbs. Heavy black population (which contributes to a historical “need” to keep blacks from consolidating political power), stark income inequality, and nearly total (de facto) public school segregation (the public schools are nearly all black, whereas the white kids largely go to private schools) are all possibly among the contributing factors.
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I think it could be a number of cities in the northeast, including Boston and Providence (I had an Asian/American friend referred to as a ‘crafty oriental’ by a government official in a town just outside of Providence).
I have lived in the south (but not the ‘deep south) and the northeast and have traveled all over. I find the northeast to be much more racist then the south and the other areas I have traveled.
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I totally agree with you. There is a shocking level of covert/subtle racism in the northeast. I’ve heard many people say that Boston is actually more racist than many places in the south.
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Maybe I have rose colored glasses on but I don’t think Boston is so bad anymore. The city really boomed in the 90s and a lot of the very strong ethnic neighborhood boundaries were eroded due to increased wealth and immigration from Latin America. The Red Sox had a very popular black player in Mo Vaughn and now have a totally unrelated ownership to the absurd racism of Yawkey. The Celtics, who attracted racists in the 80s because of their white players, just won an NBA title without playing a single white player in the playoffs.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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The racism may not be obvious at times but there is a very strong culture of subtle racism in Boston. I live in New York City and I have never seen that kind of racism that I see in Boston.
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are you retarded?? Celtics won without playing a white player in 86… I don’t know if it is just me but I’m pretty sure Larry LEGEND, Kevin McHale, and Danny Ainge were starting… I don’t know if that’s just me or the alcoholic mic running through me you fucking guinee
lol he said “just won” you idiot.
The correct answer is: every major city in the US, with the possible exception of NYC. I grew up in DC in the seventies and it was more segregated than Apartheid-era South Africa. Ironically, the more northern and industrial the city the more likely it is to be racist. Strange, isn’t it?