Do you live in one of the most racist cities in Kansas?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a hate crime that happens not that far away from us. Whether it’s the ‘white vs. black’ hate crime that we are so used to being part of America’s culture, or today’s hate crime (gay bashing), it never seems to end.
Hate groups can be hard to measure, because typically, there’s no record of where they exist. But there is data on where there were distinct Klaverns of the Ku Klux Klan in each state. We wanted to get the facts straight and dug into the data in order to identify the most racist cities in Kansas.
The result is the following list of the most racist cities in the Sunflower State:
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers. Or, if this is not up your alley, read about the most redneck towns in Kansas.
How we calculated the most racist cities in Kansas
While there are surveys and public polls on what places might be the most racist, we didn’t want to rely on speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from where KKK organizations have existed.
Specifically, we analyzed research out of Virginia Commonwealth University that mapped the Klans in each area and gave a history of their recruitment from 1915-1940.
This report is an analysis of the locations of historic KKK organizations divided by the number of people who currently live there.
There were a total of 55 cities with at least 1 Klavern in Kansas during the time period of reference.
A quick history lesson on the KKK
What is the KKK? In a nutshell, the KKK was formed back in 1865, and there have been three separate movements, all three of which were supposedly ‘purification movements’ in America. The 1865-1870s movement sought to overthrow Republican state governments.
The second movement (1915 – 1944) saw millions of members of the KKK form, which was opposed to immigration into America, especially against Catholics and Jews.
The most memorable movement of the KKK started in the 1950s, which was involved in the Civil Rights movement, and which targeted the black population in America.
The number of active members of the KKK is much smaller these days.
At the Klan’s height, there were 59 active Kalverns in Kansas.
The cities below are the places where there were Klans back in the day, and where the number of Klans per the current population is high. Meaning, the number of racist members of the community has historically been the highest, according to the math.
1. Bunker Hill
Population 2014: 104
Klaverns: 1
2. Hamilton
Population 2014: 246
Klaverns: 2
3. Dexter
Population 2014: 347
Klaverns: 1
4. Greenleaf
Population 2014: 378
Klaverns: 1
5. Linwood
Population 2014: 381
Klaverns: 1
6. Miltonvale
Population 2014: 490
Klaverns: 1
7. Florence
Population 2014: 511
Klaverns: 1
8. Little River
Population 2014: 564
Klaverns: 1
9. Onaga
Population 2014: 764
Klaverns: 1
10. Udall
Population 2014: 803
Klaverns: 1
There You Have It
When you’re looking at the places in Kansas with the highest number of KKK Klaverns per capita back in the day, this is an accurate list.
Below is a chart which lists all cities in Kansas with KKK organizations from 1915-1940.
For more Kansas reading , check out:
- These Are The 10 Most Affordable Places In Kansas
- These Are The 10 Best Places To Retire In Kansas
- These Are The 10 Most Miserable Cities In Kansas
Detailed List Of The Most Racist Cities In Kansas
City | Rank |
---|---|
Bunker Hill | 1 |
Hamilton | 2 |
Dexter | 3 |
Greenleaf | 4 |
Linwood | 5 |
Miltonvale | 6 |
Florence | 7 |
Little River | 8 |
Onaga | 9 |
Udall | 10 |
Rossville | 11 |
Overbrook | 12 |
Stafford | 13 |
Elwood | 14 |
Kiowa | 15 |
Valley Falls | 16 |
Oxford | 17 |
Wathena | 18 |
Oskaloosa | 19 |
Conway Springs | 20 |
Douglass | 21 |
Cherryvale | 22 |
Caney | 23 |
Medicine Lodge | 24 |
Council Grove | 25 |
Neodesha | 26 |
Sterling | 27 |
Hoisington | 28 |
Osage City | 29 |
Hiawatha | 30 |
Columbus | 31 |
Bonner Springs | 32 |
Osawatomie | 33 |
Independence | 34 |
Tonganoxie | 35 |
Winfield | 36 |
Abilene | 37 |
Chanute | 38 |
Augusta | 39 |
Coffeyville | 40 |
Parsons | 41 |
Atchison | 42 |
Arkansas City | 43 |
Ottawa | 44 |
El Dorado | 45 |
Great Bend | 46 |
Newton | 47 |
Pittsburg | 48 |
Leavenworth | 49 |
Hutchinson | 50 |
Salina | 51 |
Shawnee | 52 |
Topeka | 53 |
Kansas City | 54 |
Wichita | 55 |