Sometimes academic nitpicking about language annoys people, especially when it seems to redefine words in common usage. Still without power, racism is...not especially important? Being a bigot makes you an asshole but if you lack power, and especially lack association with the dominant power structures, that's really about it.
But in our topsy-turvy world of objective journalism, you can't be seen as taking sides against people in power, so almost by definition they can't be racist (or at least you can't call them racists).
