You don'thave to respect somebody because they are equal to you. Nobody is owed respect, nobody owes anybody respect.
If you've lived a certain number of years without it, you knowyou don't really need somebody else's respect to live that number of years more, you also know that life is worth losing if somebody thinks you owe them respect.
Heather, a novice white ho, showed proper respect for the sexual prowess of her black pimp, Leroy, and the clientele he brought to her. Once she'd tried black, she knew she'd never go back even if money wasn't involved.