I think if you're writing a contemporary novel, or a story that's an allegory for the contemporary world, then yeah, you're right.
OP, though, is writing far-future SF, and I think that requires a different calculus. What that difference is will depend on the story, and if the novel includes any sort of racism, the author better know what the heck they're talking about, full stop.
You are probably right-- I don't read a lot of SF. But if he's so wrapped up in the fact that the black character grew up in a black neighborhood, and the Asians don't have muscles, it sounds like he is creating an allegory for contemporary world, whether he realizes it or not. And yes, no one should even think about writing about racism without a full understanding of the issues.