Early on in his time at Baylor, Gilbert encountered professors who made assumptions about his ability to achieve based upon his race and physical limitations. Emeritus history professor Dr. Rufus Spain would later become Gilbert’s “greatest friend” at Baylor, but the academic confessed he initially thought of Gilbert as a “token” student likely to struggle in his studies. Other professors never provided Gilbert a chance to defy their first impressions. Gilbert’s enunciation and strong vocabulary surprised another professor who stated, “But you don’t talk like a n*****.” The explicitly racist comment soured Gilbert’s relationship with the professor and proved illustrative of much of Gilbert’s experience at the university.