They want to feel woke and good about the clash of genocidal self-interests that started the u.s.

Yep. And they also wanted to feel like their generation (millenials + gen X) had finally "solved" or "fixed" racism by electing Obama and having more B.I.P.O.C. drone pilots/CEOs/overpaid pretentious actors etc.

Obama was the one who originally made Lin Manuel Maranda popular, and Hamilton is the Obama of musicals.