Well, as one small example, studies show that even the most well-meaning teachers have a racial bias that favors white male students in their classroom. They are encouraged and praised more than black students, punished less, called on more, and graded more leniently. "Working hard" is not a factor here; the children are given an advantage because of their skin color, and there are only so many times a black student is going to be unfairly punished before they begin to lose value in their own worth, and you were born to this advantage as well.

You have also been stopped by police less, given preferential treatment when looking for work or apartments, have fewer friends and family in jail, and so on. It is good that you value your strong work ethic, but you were also born with inherent advantage.

Whites tend to say racism doesn't exist because they don't see immediate, tangible examples of racism, like people screaming the N-word or "no coloreds allowed" signs, but that's just meanness and bigotry. Racism is ingrained into the systems in which we all live.