The answer is "no." Americans may be the least racist people in the world, with tolerance being a celebrated — almost a demanded — social virtue, as well it should be. Each human being should be judged on his merit and character alone and not by the color of his skin.

The widespread accusation of racist America is different from the claim that individual Americans are bigoted. Clearly, this is true. Almost certainly, a small percentage of Americans are racist, but this doesn't mean the general population is, anymore than the approximately 7% of Americans with O-negative blood means America is an O-negative nation. Yet racist America is based on the claim that discrimination against blacks is deep and systemic — that it is inherent in America's political structure, foundational principles, institutions and public attitudes. The allegation is part of a larger ideology. Racist America is a building block of social-justice theory, which divides society into oppressed and oppressing classes. The "justice" part lies in the forced distribution of wealth and privilege from privileged classes to victimized classes.

Unfortunately, the idea of racist America has gained traction with young people largely due to their prolonged exposure to public education, especially in universities. A good way to enhance the lifespan and power of an idea is to institutionalize it and embed it into the culture where it acquires the status of fact. In recent decades, social justice has institutionalized the idea of America being systemically racism within the public-education system. In turn, it has been embedded into the culture through the narrative of students who pour from the campus onto the streets; racist America has become a fact. Today, even people who disagree with racist America may give it lip service acknowledgement just to avoid confrontations.

This falsehood needs to be understood to be opposed.

At some point, all discussion of racism arrives at antebellum slavery, which is held up as proof positive of racist America. It is not that simple. The presence of this extraordinary injustice over 160 years ago says nothing about today's society, which universally condemns slavery. Modern America disavows slavery in much the same way that modern Germany outlaws the display of Nazi symbols, and for the same reason; they are a disgraceful part of the past. Since the Civil War, however, a flood of laws have leveled the playing field and racist attitudes are decried from every corner of society. 19th-century slavery no longer defines modern blacks any more than the 19th-century mistreatment of females defines modern women. America has moved on.

It is also a mistake to blame racist America on self-serving activists who profit either from being a victim or from being a victim advocate. Some blame is merited but many people sincerely believe America is systemically racist. After years of being taught in school, through the media, and by pundits that it is true, America is considered to be inherently bigoted. Many of these "students" seem immune to counter-evidence: the absence of discrimination in the law; the presence of preferential policies; interracial marriages and neighborhoods; identical access to goods and services, and more. Racist America is more than a fact to such people; it is dogma. And sweeping dogma, at that.