Patriarchy Feminist theory basically mean women are victims, man have power over woman and are conspiring (conscious or unconscious) oppressors. It is a very toxic and sexist theory, it ignores mens issues and it's also an Apex fallacy. Just because the majority of people at the top are male it does not mean they represent the majority of man. Did you know that in USA women hold the majority of the vote?
However I agree that people should not be forced in to gender roles and maybe that is what you meant when you wrote Patriarchy.
>metaphorically patted on the head by men
The majority of men (including traditionalists) don't treat women like dogs. Traditionalist men even believe in sacrificing their lives to save womens lives. A lot of modern men also believe in that sacrifice.
No, they really don't. Or rather they may say they do, but when it comes it, then they don't. See the recent study of ship evacuations for proof, it's women and children last.
And remember, the civil rights era began only 50 years ago. By contrast, Jim Crow -- institutionalized, legally-sanctioned racism -- was the law of the land for 100 years prior. No matter how far we've come, that can and still does leave an impression. A case in point would be Lee Atwater's Southern Strategy; a major party's electoral strategy more or less explicitly hinged on exploiting racism. Or lookup sundown towns.
So what's the problem? It seems perfectly logical and uncontroversial to suggest that the US citizenry, including black people, would still have widespread problems with race, subtle or overt. But on account of the (usually) social rejection of overt racism, people tend to think racism is over. It's pretty straightforward.
"And it’s not a matter of generalizing white people, rather it’s being real about the culture San Francisco creates. Other people of color, including some black people are in on it too, but the thing to remember is that there have always been people of color down with white supremacy. Matters of colonization run deep throughout the years and beneath our flesh, behind our eyes."