When did "redneck" become a racist word?

[Culture]

However, the term redneck is derogatory. The person using the term could probably correctly be called a racist if they were of a non-Caucasian race. White folk who refer to people that way are simply rude and insulting. Redneck is a stereotype.

I can assure you, that in the parts of Texas I frequent, if you call me or my friends a Red Neck in an attempt to be insulting, we would reply "right, and proud of it" and not be kidding. Red Neck is not an insult here although some outsiders have attempted to make it so. A Red Neck is a generally considered (by ourselves) to be a hard working, hard playing, outdoors loving Texan who proud of their heritage rather than ashamed. Someone who can clean a deer, fix their own broken truck and work outside all day if need be.

 

[Dawg52]

I did not know that calling someone a redneck was equated to calling someone a racist. I never thought it had that meaning. I thought redneck was used to describe the sunburned neck of a southern manual laborer... sometimes a person who worked on a farm. However, the term redneck is derogatory. The person using the term could probably correctly be called a racist if they were of a non-Caucasian race. White folk who refer to people that way are simply rude and insulting. Redneck is a stereotype. Cracker is about the same... often used to refer to poor lower class white people. Both are just about the same as calling someone white-trash. It is an insult! However, some white people refer to each other as rednecks (not unlike some black people refer to each other using the n word). They do it as a slight in a semi-joking manner.

What do they call a northern manual laborer with a sunburned neck? A hard working blue collar worker I guess.