Meanwhile, PoC with extensive experience are told, "oh next year, you will be eligible for Associate Director or some other BS"
I entered the company at just above entry level despite quite a bit of experience. I cant say more or it might become obvious who I am.
You should leave. You should go somewhere your skills and experience are valued, and you should advise your non-white colleagues to do the same.
How is your social network? I’m also posting using a nominally anonymous username, but if you’d like I’ll set up an email so we can get in contact. My own network isn’t as strong as I’d like it to be, but my employer is hiring and if you’re remotely a good fit for what we do I can at least get you past the initial hiring filters and ensure you’re considered. Let me know.
When were you able to enter the field, compared to them? Do they have more experience at an earlier age?
To be clear, I am in no way arguing or trying to minimize your experiences. I’m looking for holes in my own view of the problem, which I stated in a top-level comment. Based on that I would expect that the VP probably had a lot of starting advantages over you. That doesn’t make it right, but it may highlight effective strategies for changing the dynamic for your children.