What does that mean - racist? Generally speaking all races are 'racist' and have been throughout history. So what does that mean?
It means southerners are more apt to judge someone based on their individual character than the color of their skin, than a New Englander or a Minnesotan.
I means that when a black man walks into a Southern store, people merely glance at him, not watch him fearfully like a hawk.
It means that a Southerner hires a handyman based on how good a job he does, not because one expects extra points for being so progressive as to hire a black man.