It's like you say, the definition has morphed. But I tend to stick to the old definition, hence the confusiion.

You might be interested in the story behind the publication of Richard North Patterson's novel, "Trial."

He spent a long time researching for the novel about a Black kid arrested for killing a cop by talking to people on the ground in Georgia. But, even though he is a successful novelist, he couldn't get it published because he's a white dude. Publishers claimed he shouldn't try to write from a Black perspective, even though the main protagonist is a white congress critter.

He wrote about his experiences but I don't have a link handy.

We all must be able to write whatever we wish, and let readers decide.