Justice
Mapping Where Americans Google the N-Word
There's a disturbing connection with black mortality.
People don't like to admit they're racist. Some may not even realize the extent of their discriminatory tendencies. But Google knows. You can't hide from Google.
That's the basic premise behind a new U.S. map showing where people Google the N-word most often. The image, compiled by a large study team led by social epidemiologist David Chae of the University of Maryland, reflects search queries for the word from 2004 to 2007 in 196 media markets (as defined by Nielsen). The map appears in a new PLoS One paper (spotted by Wonkblog's Christopher Ingraham) as part of a larger study into the connection between racism and public health.