1000% yes and I actually agree with you! I should also clarify that there was nothing wrong with your initial post, I just didn't want to reach the wrong conclusion or make assumptions. Some of the wording threw me off, but that's on me, not you. Thanks so much for clarifying.

And actually, I think you agree with me more than you're realizing! One of my main points was that there's a false conflation between racism and power - the same one you mention here

[They explain this as racism being necessarily about exactly the amount of power at exactly the institutional level that means that blacks "can't be racist" by definition.]

When I say false conflation, I mean exactly the interpretation that you're talking about. Involving or presupposing institutional power is at play when people label one another racist is exactly the problem. And also, as you say, probably not the real reason that some people want to maintain this narrative.

It's because it would force them to reckon with a true definition of racism that can be consistently applied - making their argument invalid.

Thank you for your thought provoking input, truly!