I'm not quite sure how exactly an active pursuit to get lighter features would signify the end of racism. Isn't the need for such procedures caused by racism itself?

Depigmentation would only work for people with so-called “Caucasoid” skull and features anyway. Differences between races are more structural, rather than in coloring. A Sub-Saharan African or Asian person suffering from albinism won’t pass as white. Many South East Asians that already bleach their skin to deadly pale and wear tacky color lenses look just grotesque, cause it doesn’t match their facial features.

The widespread division into races that crystallized in the XIX century is indeed superficial, cause it’s based on phenotypes, not taking into regard the modern genetics and genotypes. Modern science can easily debunk that.

Racism has many different faces though. One doesn't have to look much different to be a victim of discrimination based on their origin itself.