There is a common indicator of psychological dysfunction and/or cognitive dissonance (requiring cognitive behavior therapy). It is the propensity for a person to project historical events to being a current source of problem.

"The US HAS been a systemically racist country."

I think the problem with the progressive badge is that criticism is a required stock and trade and hence a progressive can never really admit to progress or else there would be no more need for a progressive project.

There is copious historical evidence of darkness and human malevolence. But then in 2008 53% of the nation voted for a black president.

The US was once a systemically and institutionally racist nation. Thankfully the Republicans went to war to abolish slavery, and then the Republicans ended Jim Crow and passed civil rights legislation. The next step is for the Republicans to defeat the Wall Street embedded Democrats that are destroying black economic opportunity. That will be civil rights 2.0 progress that progressives will find a way to criticize.