Looking at this from outside, this idea of painting the Republicans as having somehow "exchanged places" with the Democrats is pretty ridiculous. It's the sort of thing that requires the people pushing it to believe things that they know aren't true.
Let's take a walk through history:
19th cent:
Democrat Policy: Supporting slavery
Republican Policy: Equality of all before the law, regardless of race.
Early 20th
Democrat Policy: Segregation and "Jim Crow"
Republican Policy: Equality of all before the law, regardless of race.
Late 20th to early 21st
Democrat Policy: Affirmative action, racial quotas, special "protected" groups with extra rights
Republican Policy: Equality of all before the law, regardless of race.
So the Dems all along are the people who believe that people should be treated differently depending on their skin colour. They've just changed the details of what different treatment it should be.
While the Donkey dances around, the Elephant stands there unmoving.