Agree - it's kind of amazing how the Democrats have changed in a matter of only about two decades. By the 1990s, the concept of color-blindness in race relations influenced culture and was the normal (and rational) ideal for a just society. Within the last few years, this been subverted so that color-blindness is defined as "racist" to the left.
And yes, as you said, the left used to champion free speech in America. The fact that they no longer care for such basic civil liberties shows how dangerous as they are, trying to justify their means of oppression because they think their ends are "good".