Sadly, that's somewhat true.
When my daughter was in elementary school in early 1980s she and a black kid named Michael were the best students in their classes. When they got to 7th and 8th grades, Michael's grades went to hell in a handbasket, so my daughter asked him why. He said making good grades in school marked him as "too white" in his neighborhood, so he quit trying. I'm not sure if he even finished high school.
Glad he got back on the proper track. He was heading off the plantation, a very dangerous thing that might lead to self-reliance and thinking for himself.