Do you live in one of the most racist cities in North Carolina?
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 North Carolina.
The result is the following list of the most racist cities in the Tar Heel State:
- Atkinson
- Calypso
- Kenansville
- Hertford (Photos)
- Spencer
- Wallace
- Forest City (Photos)
- Dunn (Photos)
- Henderson
- Lexington (Photos)
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how Atkinson end up as the most racist place in North Carolina.
Or check out the most ghetto cities and the most dangerous cities in North Carolina.
How we calculated the most racist cities in North Carolina
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 22 cities with at least 1 Klavern in North Carolina 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 23 active Kalverns in North Carolina.
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. Atkinson
Population: 319
Klaverns: 1
2. Calypso
Population: 538
Klaverns: 1
3. Kenansville
Population: 1,022
Klaverns: 1
4. Hertford
Population: 2,353
Klaverns: 1
5. Spencer
Population: 3,267
Klaverns: 1
6. Wallace
Population: 3,953
Klaverns: 1
7. Forest City
Population: 7,387
Klaverns: 1
8. Dunn
Population: 9,570
Klaverns: 1
9. Henderson
Population: 15,325
Klaverns: 1
10. Lexington
Population: 19,029
Klaverns: 1
There You Have It
When you’re looking at the places in North Carolina 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 North Carolina with KKK organizations from 1915-1940.
For more North Carolina reading , check out:
- These Are The 10 Most Ghetto Cities In North Carolina
- These Are The 10 Snobbiest Places In North Carolina
- These Are The 10 Most Boring Places To Live In North Carolina
Detailed List Of The Most Racist Cities In North Carolina
City | Rank |
---|---|
Atkinson | 1 |
Calypso | 2 |
Kenansville | 3 |
Hertford | 4 |
Spencer | 5 |
Wallace | 6 |
Forest City | 7 |
Dunn | 8 |
Henderson | 9 |
Lexington | 10 |
Sanford | 11 |
New Bern | 12 |
Salisbury | 13 |
Hickory | 14 |
Wilson | 15 |
Rocky Mount | 16 |
Asheville | 17 |
High Point | 18 |
Wilmington | 19 |
Durham | 20 |
Raleigh | 21 |
Charlotte | 22 |