Can you explain what you mean by "cunning, envious, and plotting snakes?" Why do you suppose that they would be envious and cunning?
It doesn't matter how cool and liberal they seem, most white people do not want a negro in a similar position to them, much less a higher position than them. If they see you're too good at your job, like good to the point you might make them look bad, they'll start looking for little things to report you for and start negative office conservations about you, behind your back.
My uncle and his wife both had great positions at JP Morgan in Ohio, they worked hard, moved up in the company. Everything was good until they reached certain positions/income had enough money to move into same neighborhood as some of their coworkers and supervisors. At that point he told me coworkers would question how they afforded their house and the workplace got increasingly hostile towards them.
First they fired the wife because they claimed her attitude was detrimental to the workplace environment, my uncle felt they were gonna come for him next, so he transferred to a similar position down here in Houston at JP Morgan and restarted down here.