When you put it that way, it reminds me of a theory I've promoted in the past about the people who survived the Middle Passage and everything associated with it. The slavers in the U.S. must have been very intimidated by those who survived. The strength, intelligence, tenacity, and determination to get through all that had to be at an unimaginable level when presented to slave owners and buyers. There's no way to prove it, but it may be the origins of the fear we still see among many whites today, at least in the U.S. Not to justify the behavior, but it isn't surprising to see people react negatively toward people who are, essentially, better than them in just about every way. Slaves had to be better than their tormentors in order to survive. I have full confidence that Dr. Gay and people like her will continue to impress us.