I would just like to hear them say "society has changed and we really appreciate racism is not so bad now, however....."
Maybe they think society has not 'changed' substantially if at all.
Racism, like most things is subjective.
What we today would consider outright blatant and disgusting racism, would pass as slight prejudice in the past.
As each successive generation experiences racism, it is just as raw as the massive injustice meted out to slaves in the past.
It is not until racism is eradicated that those who experience racism day in, and day out, will agree that society has changed for the better.
It might appear to the average person that racism is little and infrequent. But to those that experience it on a daily, hourly basis, it is no better than it's ever been.
If you substitute sexism for racism, and compare what was acceptable in the past, with what is blatant sexism today, you get an idea of how things have changed, but only in comparison to what has happened decades ago.
What happened last week, last year, is little different to what is happening today.