http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-harvard20-2009jun20,0,1882109.story?page=1
has a story about a woman who grew up homeless, yet scored very well on the "standardized tests" so hated by many. She is now going to Harvard.

This is what Murray and Herrnstein wrote about: smart people (from any population; the woman in the story is black) often achieve a lot, despite background.