Because racism does not have anything to do with individual attributes, and members of groups that are comparatively powerless are incapable of carrying out “systematic discrimination” against members of groups that are comparatively powerful, even the vilest forms of hatred need not count as racist. As Manisha Krishnan put the point in Vice, “It is literally impossible to be racist to a white person.”
Now I get it! I didn't understand this before. It always seemed like such an odd belief to have. But the idea that individual racism doesn't exist, it's all structural now clarifies how people can think all white people are racists just because they are white & black people are incapable of being racist even if their views uphold racist beliefs. Similarly, women can't be sexist, even when their views uphold misogyny.
