"But it is exceedingly difficult to change hearts and minds."
I think it has been, at one time in our past, difficult to change hearts and minds, but hearts and minds have been changed and there is objective evidence of that. A two term black president being a big one. Not only a 2 term black president, but a two term black president with a Muslim-sounding name who won soon after 9/11. We also have a more and more diverse Congress.
I grew up with a dad who regularly used the n-word in an angry, hateful way. I now have two kids who would be absolutely horrified if I ever used that word. I mean absoluuuuuuuutely horrified. That's how I want it to be. Just that fast transformation happens.
I view our current "changing of hearts" as a domino pyramid. One knocks over two, knocks over 4, knocks over 8, etc. We are on the downside of a bell curve. The climb was difficult, but we're over the apex and are on the downside but the approach that some/much of the Democratic party is taking, I believe, is doing more harm than good. We don't need to fight discrimination with discrimination. We need to fight like hell to STOP focusing on irrelevant characteristics like skin color and nationality and sexual orientation. IMO Dems are getting greedy....over zealous. In their rush to fix every injustice, they're actually creating resentment and resistance.