'Real Housewives of New York City' star Eboni K. Williams says all her talk about racial issues on the show has nothing to do with their poor TV ratings ... she says that's all on producers.

Eboni tells TMZ she shouldn't be the scapegoat for a declining TV audience just because she doesn't make final cut decisions about what ends up airing ... but the producers do.

The way Eboni sees it ... 'RHONY' has tackled tons of sensitive issues over the years -- like mental health, alcoholism, bankruptcy and divorce -- so race shouldn't be any different.

If you didn't know ... 'RHONY' TV ratings are down, and fans have been speculating all season it's because Eboni seems to lay it on thick.

Sources close to the cast tell us some cast members are also tired of that storyline coming up on every episode. We're told they think 'RHONY' should be light-hearted, fun entertainment ... with a bit of drama, of course -- but Eboni says that's not up to her or her castmates.

There's clearly a rift growing, as Eboni says she feels demonized by some of the 'housewives' and some viewers. She adds ... if some of her castmates didn't show up for shoots with microaggression, there wouldn't be a need for the constant race discussions.

Something's gotta give.