Introduction
Rosa Parks said that, "Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and, hopefully, we shall overcome." FBI Hate Crime data shows us, decades later, that racism and race-based hate crimes endure. While an unacceptable amount of crimes occur on the basis of religion and sexual orientation, race-based crime is the most common hate crime and its occurrence has increased over recent years. Can the data help us understand how this occurs or what we might do about it?
Hate Crime over Time
Although the changes have been small there have still been increases in hate crimes for each type of bias except for those motivated by sexual orientation. Epsecially over the past couple years racially motivated hate crimes have seen the most significant increase. Reaching a recent low in 2014 racially motivated hate crimes have increased each year to peak in 2016 with 900 more racially motivated hate crimes being reported in 2016 than two years prior.
Changes in Frequency of Hate Crime Depends on Type of Bias
Comparing Number of Hate Crimes by Type of Bias over Past 6 Years
Source: Crimes from FBI Hate Crime database.
Template: d3.js from Andrew Seilen
Hate Crime by Location
The distribution of hate crimes motivated by race is rather even throughout the country. Assumptions about certain regions being more prone to these types of incidents are not backed up by the recent FBI data. Counties with major cities clearly show hiring nubmers of racial hate crimes, however the overall distirbution shows that hate crimes continue to occur all across the country.
Racial Hate Crimes Distributed Throughout the Country
Geographic Distribution of Hate Crimes Motivated by Race
Source: Crimes from FBI Hate Crime database.
Template: d3.js from Bostock
Hate Crime & Education
A county's average level of education and its rate of reported hate crimes have no significant correlation. The clear lack of any relationship between schooling and hate crime may come as a surprise; education is frequently touted as one of the most useful tools in fighting bigotry. While our data may be confounded by other variables, it serves us to know that one must not expect nor assume that more educated areas are less prone to hate crime.
The Impact (or lack thereof) of Education on Hate Crime
Comparing average years of education by county with instances of hate crime by county
Hate Crime Index equals the ranked percentile of a county based on hate crime as a percent of total crime.
Source: Crimes from FBI Hate Crime database. Education data from US Census 2018, via American FactFinder.
Template: d3.js from Jonas Petersson
Hate Crime & Economic Inequality
Looking at economic data shows us that communities with greater economic divison between whites and minorities also experience more race-based crimes. While regressions show a large relationship between inequality and crimes - similar to findings by Maimuna Majunder in a fivethirtyeight article - the most significant relationship is the difference between white median household income and median household income. Where we see the manifestation of privilege and the impact of enduring discrimination, we also see race-based hate crime.
How Distance Breeds Contempt
Comparing Coefficients Shows the Impact of Inequality and Privilege
* Religion uses the inverse of the coefficient. In this scenario, when whites make more than average, religion-based hate crimes are less likely to occur. This might be worth further investigation in a separate analysis.
Source: Crimes from FBI Hate Crime database. Economic data from US Census 2018, via American FactFinder.
Template: d3.js from Bostock
Of note, these regressions control for population density, because many of these crimes either are concentrated in cities or cities disproportionately report these crimes as compared to rural areas. In turn, cities tend to have higher incomes, more inequality and higher average years of schooling, which tends to make richer, more educated people seem more racist. By controlling for population density, only White - Median Differential and Gini maintain their magnitude and significance. While correlation does not equal causation, the distance between us seems to make a difference.
Conclusion
Very few people will admit to being hateful. Telling a community that they have issues with hate is unlikely to make them change. In turn, when we think about how a community might overcome issues that lead to hate crimes, we saw above that we cannot educate our way out of the problem. More schooling did not equal less hate. Instead, we might be able to look at the distance between us. Communities seem more willing to address economic outcomes, so we might be able to prepare for Rosa Parks' "better future" by addressing the problem through issues of economic inclusiveness and inequality.