I resented being forced to be one of the guinea pigs for equality as a member of the military,  I also resented my loss of Free Speech, Freedom of Association and several other Constitutional rights.

That's where the progressives get to force their views on a portion of the society just because they can.

As a result, however, the goals of a meritocracy which did not depend of 'affirmative action' or 'special' treatment based on race permitted and required me to be an equal, a subordinate and a supervisor of Blacks, Hispanics, Asians and every other conceivable ethnic group.  

If you do that for twenty years or so, and pay any kind of attention, and the meritocracy actually functions most of the time, (nothing human-designed is perfect!) your attitudes will change.

I found, based on personal experience, that every single human being's best and worst qualities exist in every single ethnic group without exception.  They are not weighted more heavily in any particular one, either.