Depending on how long ago he was a kid, this may not have been all that far from the truth. There was a long period in America when a successful black man was viewed, at best, with suspicion and was often watched for an opportunity to “put him in his place.”
I firmly believe most black people are stuck in the past with regard to how white people view them. I for one would be delighted if we were seeing steady progress towards economic equality for black people.
But the single greatest factor in keeping them from making this progress is this being stuck in the past. It leads to the attitude you mentioned and the corollary that working hard and being polite and dependable is “acting white.” Hard to think of more destructive attitudes to embed in people.