Whitewashing persons of color is not comparable to changing the race of a traditionally white character. Not even close
Western culture has been dominated by white creators (mostly men) with a long history of excluding persons of color from their work.
From J.R.R. Tolkien to Jane Austin to Herman Hesse. Even well intentioned leftists like H.G. Wells never gave persons of color so much as a mention.
Changing the race of a white character is just righting a historical wrong.
So spare us the false equivalencies, please.