It is, as you said, entirely possible that it is due to ignorance or misinformation, and it may even be that the truth of the matter is that there is indeed no systemic racism in today’s society, but none of this changes the fact that, in saying these things, we are being racist.
I’ve quoted the above because I think it provides a decent summary of what you’re saying.
I would say this is the first time I’ve come across the idea that someone who (hypothetically) correctly says that systemic racism doesn’t exist would then correctly be labelled as a racist. It is also the first time I have encountered the idea that it may not be wrong to be racist (other than from people who quite obviously think of other races as inferior). I don’t really want to play the upvote game, but judging from comment votes so far I have a feeling I’m in the majority on this.
I can’t help but see this new definition of racism as scope creep, and very harmful scope creep at that. We need to maintain a society where “being racist” is rightly treated with derision and if this is no longer the case then I am frankly worried.
Can you provide references that back up your claim that your definition of racism is widely accepted? I would say that even if academia has accepted this definition (I’m sceptical it has), that doesn’t mean that the general public has also accepted that definition.
EDIT: Under this new definition a worrying number of people would be racist towards their own race. I don’t think this is a good definition at all.
I just read through this thread and it just doesn’t sit right with me to have called it a racist thread. In fact I would say that there are many people of colour who share the same views as the original poster in that thread.
All racists may deny systemic racism, but that doesn’t mean that all those who deny systemic racism are racist. Perhaps the original poster is ignorant or misinformed (if he is in fact wrong), but I don’t think there’s enough in that thread to call him racist.
That’s not to say we shouldn’t take into account how threads like that make people feel and if they make people feel unwelcome or uncomfortable that is of course a bad thing. However I do think we are too quick to label things as racist.
FWIW I am a mixed-race person. Admittedly I haven’t experienced racist discrimination in my life so can’t properly understand what it must be like for people who do.