A few semesters back I took an African American Literature course. The text that we used was called, The Norton Anthology of African American Literature Vol.2. The editor? Henry Louis Gates Jr. I had become very familiar with Gates way before the course or even recent events. I remember as a teenager reading about him....oh yes, he was....one of Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Americans" in 1997. Holder of 50 honorary degrees, acclaimed historian, Harvard professor and PBS documentarian.Many may recall in 2006-2007 many African American celebrities such as: Oprah Winfrey,Morgan Freeman, Chris Rock, Tina Turner, Don Cheadle, Tom Joyner and Maya Angelou and many more traced their roots by DNA. Well, Gates was the host and mastermind.
(now fast forward to July 2009) My friend called me and told me to turn to CNN. To my disbelief I see photos of a handcuffed Gates. According to the NPR, On July 16, Cambridge police responded to a call that two black males with backpacks were breaking in to a two-story home near the Harvard campus. By the time police arrived, Gates was already inside his home. He refused to step outside to speak with the police. Eventually, Gates showed some identification and, according to the police report, began yelling at an officer. Gates was handcuffed and led away.
When one of America's most prominent black intellectuals winds up in handcuffs, it's not just another episode of profiling — something is terribly wrong. We are not where we used to be, but we have a long bumpy road to travel.If this man can be taken away by police officers from the porch of his own home, what does it say about the treatment that average blacks can expect in 2009?