Anyone ever notice how people who want to push back against or ignore systemic racism always get hung up on blame and guilt?
Sure, some (a small minority) want to assign blame, but don't let yourself get hung up on that. Most folks who recognize systemic racism would be happy if folks would just acknowledge it and learn to identify it so that hopefully we can get rid of it to the degree that we can.
Of course every individual needs to do their share in making life work for them. Some individuals just have an extra obstacle to deal with. Like I tied your boots together and put 20 lbs of rocks in your pack at the start of a long hike. Sure, if you're super fit then you'll probably catch up anyway. But if all other things are equal, then you'll probably remain behind, through no fault of your own.
One of the biggest issues I see in what some of us call "systemic racism" is the generational wealth issue. The fact that so many people of color were not allowed to own property for so long, or get home loans, or have to pay much higher interest rates, etc. That is a massive burden on an entire group of people that whites simply didn't have to carry. It's not my fault or your fault, but it happened for generations and it directly affects many people's opportunities in this country. Maybe they can't afford to live in safe neighborhoods. Maybe they can't buy enough healthy food. Maybe they can't afford to send their kid to a private school, or home school. Maybe they can't afford a decent college or a four year degree. And you can trace a lot of that back to a lack of generational wealth due to them being denied access to property ownership and lower interest loans.
And that's just one impact. It says nothing about the emotional burden people of color have to carry in this country when so often they look around and see the vast difference in standard of living between people of color and whites.
Things are getting better. Spare me the examples. But can you honestly say everyone is now fully equal and that the laws and policies of the past had no effect on generations of people of color? Really?
I grew up extremely poor, and lived among other extremely poor people. Every day at the end of the bus ride to school, I was reminded how many kids didn't have to deal with poverty or the daily stress and anxiety that goes with it. And yet, I still didn't have to deal with racism.