There is an old saying about how history is written by the victorous. White man "conquered" the natives Indians of the western hemisphere, and one could say that, through slavery, blacks were "conquered as well.
White's wrote the history, so it takes a particular slant, and its been that way long after all the conquering is done.
(How often did you talk about George Washington Carver is school, whether it was February or not?)
As for all the "demonizing" talk...well, I'm not sure how to put how I feel into writing.
One thing, for sure, is that demonizing is far too strong a word for it.