To come up with the list of the least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017, we first need to research the history of racism. Racism in America has always been prevalent and can be dated back to the colonial era which was in the 16th century. The notion that a particular group is superior to others based on their color, ethnicity, culture or religion is the cusp of racism. It started quite early on when the Europeans mistreated the Native Americans based on their color and identity leading to mass murders and genocide. It went on to the African Americans, who were considered to be slaves for the whites. They were beaten, tortured and discriminated. And this lasted for centuries. In certain ways, it’s still quite widespread in the country.
Moving on to religious intolerance – racism against Muslims and Jews have also been a huge part of the history of America. The term “Islamophobia” came into existence after the debacle of 9/11 and is still quite relevant. Muslims in the USA have been through a lot of trouble since the terror attacks, with rampant security checks, scrutinizing interviews and racial profiling. Hate crimes against these groups have occurred more frequently than one would like to mention. According to the FBI, hate crimes are defined as “criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, or gender identity.”
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It’s sad also to say that most of the hate crimes committed go unreported, and hence no data could be found on them online, or otherwise. Ever since 9/11, there has been a surge in hate crimes especially those connected to ethnicity and religion, specifically towards Islam. Muslims are facing hate crimes on a daily basis, on their commutes, in public spaces, in restaurants, even at schools. A slogan “Go back to your country” has become notorious, harassing individuals who just want to live their lives peacefully. Nowadays, it seems that America is full of racist people with the power to express their hate in ways that might seem preposterous to the general audience.
In fact, it is not quite unreasonable or far-fetched to believe that racism played an integral part in the election of a certain Donald Trump to the “highest office” not just in the country, but in the world. Trump used racism as a not so subtle attack towards those he believed were to blame for the problems country is facing. The fact that he still managed to win shows us that the US is maybe not quite the perfect country it longs to be or at least to portray itself as.e US is maybe not quite the perfect country it longs to portray itself as.
For this list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017, we took the statistics measured by the FBI. The latest reliable data are from 2015. However, we strongly believe that during the two years, not much has changed. We have taken into consideration the total number of hate crimes and hate-related incidents for each state as well as the number of incidents per capita which is calculated by dividing the total number of crimes with the total number of population in each state. This gave us the final ranking for the list. If you want to make a comparison with 2011, you should head on over to the article on least racist states in America. If you want to know the places where racism thrives, head on over to our piece on most racist states ranked by hate crimes.
In ways, there has also been a decline in the rate of hate crimes committed, as people are growing to become more tolerant and supportive. Which is why this article will be focusing on the least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017.
15. Minnesota
According to some studies, Minnesota has the least intensity of hate groups, giving it one of the reasons to being number 15 on our list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017.
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14. Montana
With its stunning lakes, amazing skiing opportunities, and beautiful scenery, Montana also has some of the friendliest people you might come across. Although hate crimes do exist in the state, they are still quite low considered to those in the rest of America.
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13. Connecticut
We are continuing our list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017 with Connecticut and its lawmakers that are working towards making Connecticut a more tolerant and safe state. They recently passed legislation that will handle hate crimes and help bridge gaps between different genders, races, and religions.
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12. Oregon
With a population that’s on the grow, Oregon is on its way to becoming one of the most diverse states in America. This is one of the reasons for the low hate crime rate in the state, thus making it part of our list.
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11. District of Columbia
In light of last year events regarding 2016 referendum on whether the District of Columbia should become the 51st state, we put it on our list of In light of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017. Boasting of an ethnically diverse group of people living there, the District of Columbia is one of the least racist places in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017. The police department in the district has been working towards making the state even safer for people of all races, ethnicities, religions.
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10. Tennessee
The Southern States in America are considered to be the safest states compared to the other states in regards to racism and hate crimes. Tennessee is welcoming to people of all races and religions, and are deemed as some of the friendliest people you might come across.
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9. California
With its beautiful sunsets and stunning forests, California, next on our list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017 is one of the best places to live on the West Coast. As with places across the world, racism and hate crimes persist here too, but it’s still one of the safest places considering all the other states in America.
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8. New York
The Big Apple has seen it all, from racism to terrorism and hate crimes. However, it’s the people living there that are changing the picture. A friendlier attitude and a heart to protect those who need it can go a long way, which is why from 50 states, New York stands number 8 on our list.
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7. Michigan
Even though Michigan has had its share of hate crimes, especially after the 2016 elections, they started working on making accessible the reporting and complaining about the crimes. This has led Michigan to our list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017.
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6. Washington
Hate crimes have persisted in states all across the United States, but it’s at its lowest since around twenty years. In comparison to other states, Washington that ranked 6th on the list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017 is still a friendlier, more tolerant state.
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5. Kentucky
Even though Kentucky isn’t as diverse racially as most of the other states in the U.S. are, and it has a history of racism, the people are learning to become tolerant and accepting of other races, genders, ethnicities, and religions.
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4. New Jersey
Even though racism is one of the harsh realities of the country of freedom, the lines of racial hate crimes are slowly blurring away. This happens to be true of New Jersey which is becoming quite diverse in matters of race and ethnicity especially.
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3. Arizona
One of the most family-friendly states in the United States of America, Arizona ranks third on our list of least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017. While Arizona has suffered serious problems regarding racism, like this recent raging controversy that racism was the intent behind a ban on ethnic studies at Tucson Unified High School District. However, the state has also seen programs like the Worker’s World, which aims to counter racism and ensure that equal opportunity is handed out to everyone. If you visit their website, you will see that the articles on the front page talk about recent successes against racism.
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2. Ohio
Ohio is working hard towards becoming a more tolerant state and coming second on our list vouches for that. Even Ohio State University is just recently held a workshop helping students understand white privilege and racism, and how to overcome that.
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1. Massachusetts
As mentioned earlier in the article, although hate crimes are on the rise, Massachusetts is the least racist states in America ranked by hate crimes in 2017. That is because the government has taken steps to ensure that no racism is tolerated at any level and anyone who does engage in such immoral and unethical activities has to face the repercussions immediately. For example, you may remember the infamous Charlottesville rally organized by white supremacists in an attempt to showcase their dominance; to establish their white privilege? It is hard to understand how the minds of deeply racist people work. Well, the citizens of America didn’t take this without fighting back, and counter-protests were organized. This, in turn, led to clashes between protesters and the counter-protesters. Things took a tragic turn when one super racist guy rammed his car into a rally of counter-protesters, killing one.
The incident caused widespread debate in the country, with the racist protesters earning well-deserved condemnation from all sides. The same happened in Massachusetts, where a town official while discussing the protest on Facebook, engaged in a racial slur against a black CNN commentator. He was immediately placed on leave. With a system like that, it is no surprise that the state seems to be one of the most race-friendly places in America.
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