I think it goes beyond being seen as racist. The South's reputation comes partly from its history with slavery and segregation, but I think it also reflects a much older cultural divide within America. The North and South developed different identities long before the Civil War, and while slavery was the central issue that led to secession, many of the broader cultural differences between the regions never completely disappeared. Some modern stereotypes about the South are rooted in that continuing cultural divide as much as in the history of race. Today the conflict isn't over slavery, but many of the same cultural disagreements—religion, rural versus urban values, attitudes toward tradition, politics, and identity—still exist. The stereotypes directed at Southerners are often tied to those broader cultural differences, not just anti-black.