For background, I work in an environment where DEI is pervasive (and perverted) in education.... however the same problems are manifesting in tech, public sector, and other employment areas.
Example #1: none of the finalists in the Olympic M100 are Caucasian. It's an observable fact.
Example #2: none of the finalists in the Olympic M100 freestyle swim final are African/AA. It's an observable fact.
#1 is interpreted by some to mean e.g. "white men can't run fast." Michael Johnson knew better than that, he saved his interview with Allan Wells for last in the series. He dared to ask, so why was this guy the last white Olympic 100 sprint champ? His own docu answered the question he posed. he reminded us, there's no easy way.
Inference = speaker is racist.
#2 also interpreted by some to mean "non-white men can't swim fast." Well, Duke Kahanomoku had something to say, and do, about that.
Inference = speaker is racist.
I don't make those interpretations btw.
The word "racist" is so elastic and convenient and in today's world so radioactively toxic that it loses meaning and effect.
Am I racist because I really love to have sex with black women? Some think so. I don't care. Am I racist because I am a member of this board and because it turns me on when my hotwife has sex with her black bulls? Some think so. I don't care. Am I racist because I make those observations above? Some think so. I don't care. Am I racist because I was subjected to abuse based on skin color/national origin (only white guy in my class, grew up in Asia...there's plenty of prejudice to go around and simply having white skin doesn't immunize against such). Some believe so. I don't care. Am I racist because for years I had an aversion to white women, based on positive interactions with black/Asian/latina/Pacific islander? Some believe so. I don't care.
At some point the term loses all meaning. I don't like to use it for this reason and I pay no regard to those who use the label without defining what they mean. Because otherwise everyone is racist - including me - or none of us are.
We all have preferences, and surely we can simply be ourselves and let others be, without using such a label which is clearly negative, prejudicial and divisive in intent. Nobody ever called a person "racist" as a mark of respect. We can however call people "black" or "Asian" or "gringo" etc. in a respectful way.