Reflections - Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. Arrest

With Gatesgate behind us (hopefully) it's time to reflect on what happened. A world renowned scholar of African American history who is also African American, Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is arrested at his own home in prestigious Cambridge, Massachusetts by a white police officer, Sergeant James Crowley) because the Prof. yelled at him. The Prof. is charged under a strange law which his said offence doesn't even fall under. Charges are dropped, but that doesn't stop the commotion and chaos that is about to unfold.

Suddenly, the ugly in people comes out. The racist/biased views in both whites and blacks suddenly start to come out. Some white folks throughout the nation start yelling and screaming, "America has a black president, Massachusetts has a black Governor, Cambridge has a black Mayor...what more do those people (blacks) want?!"

Suddenly, the n-word in its deragatory sense is being used freely towards blacks, people who thought they were once true friends now question that as they realize they see the issue differently.

You need to have experienced being discriminated against first hand to know how some black people felt. Ask someone who lived through Jim Crow, the Civil Rights movement, seeing 'Colored Only' signs, how they feel about a black man being arrested in his own home.

Once again, I have to say that I am sorry for calling Lucia Whalen a bigot for her role in this matter but it was based totally on Sgt. Crowley's police report which we now know is innacurate. (Now we know why officials delayed releasing it to the media). And many of the white folks who spewed the n-word based their views on the same report. Her 911 call to the police was made with good intentions and I'm sure that when she made that call, she had no clue that she would go down in the history books for sparking what followed. I also think Ms. Whalen should have been invited for a beer. I also still think the FBI should investigate the discrepancies in the police report.

Now, Prof. Gates says that he is receiving death threats, even after the Beer Summit and Harvard University has even suggested that he move. Well, if he leaves Cambridge, MA it will be another notch in the belt for the whites in Cambridge who want to eradicate the city of its black population. .They have made strides indeed! Please stay put Prof. Gates.

Officer Uncle Tom

Truth said, when I saw the photo of Prof. Henry Louis Gates arrest and Sergeant Leon Lashley in it with his back turned, I thought he was going to claim that he saw nothing. Yes, he did stand up for his colleague and friend, Sgt. James Crowley. That's what friends are for....right? But why is it that there is a rumor that Officer Lashley was told to say what he did or else lose his job and pension? There's also that now questionable police report on the arrest. The questions being about the quoted witness, Lucia Whalen, denying that she told Sgt. Crowley about seeing black men with backpacks.

Having seen some racist incidents in Cambridge, MA in which black city employees were forced to say things they really did not want to in order to keep their jobs I can believe it. I just hope it's not true and that's not the case in this instance.

'Uncle Tom' is a term used to characterize a black person who will do anything to stay in favor with a white person. The female equivalen is , 'Aunt Jemima'. It's based on the story, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin' by Harriett Beecher Stowe. Unfortunately, as soon as that photo of the esteemed Professor's arrest surfaced Sgt. Lashley was labelled, 'Uncle Tom.'

An while I am sorry for having called Ms. Whalen a bigot based on the police report...this is just another notch for the July 16th, 9-11 call made by Lucia Whalen:

1. Esteemed scholar of African American history, Prof. Henry Louis Gates Jr. gets an arrest record.
2. Officer with stellar record now called 'Sgt. Jim Crow'.
3. Black officer with stellar record now called 'Uncle Tom'.
4. Black President of the United States reminded that even though he is President he is still an n-word.
5. Boston Police officer, Justin Barrett about to lose job because of racism comments on the incident
6. Incident becomes major setback to race relations in the USA.
7. World shakes head at USA and it's continues race problems.

Saw this at the bottom of the BEER SUMMIT Article on CNN.com:

Meanwhile, a black Cambridge police sergeant on the scene the day of Gates' arrest wrote a letter to Crowley, asking him to mention to Gates and Obama that he is now known as the "black sergeant" and to some others as an "uncle Tom."

"I'm forced to ponder the notion that as a result of speaking the truth and coming to the defense of a friend and colleague, who just happens to be white, that I have somehow betrayed my heritage," Sgt. Leon Lashley wrote. "Please convey my concerns to the president that Mr. Gates' actions may have caused grave and potentially irreparable harm to the struggle for racial harmony in this country and perhaps throughout the world."

Lashley wrote in the letter he would like Gates to reflect on the incident and ask himself what responsibility he bears, what he can do to heal the rift and what he can do to mitigate the damage done to the officers' reputations.

Cambridge Police Need to Apologize to Lucia Whalen

(Lucia Whalen at Press Conference Today)

Well, it's evident that Sgt. James Crowley added salt to his police report and tried to throw the blame on Lucia Whalen who made the initial 911 that started Gatesgate.

Cambridge police need to apologize to Ms. Whalen, she has been defamed. It's that police report that caused her to be villified. I wish she had spoken up sooner, then again we really don't know what kind of intimidation she was facing.

I live in Cambridge, MA. I know a lot of Cambridge cops and most are stellar, polite and caring. I have also made a 911 call regarding a B & E. In that case I was asked to describe the culprit and yes, it was a black man with a crowbar who was nabbed redhanded. I like Cambridge police because in most cases they respond promptly. But, I'm disappointed at the handling of this issue and especially now, that police Gatesgate report. I guess we now will haveto wonder about the accuracy of future reports written by the said officer.

Meanwhile, I think the FBI needs to get to the bottom of this. A race riot almost started because of this incident. I'm wondering if tomorrow's Beerplomacy at the White House should even go on now that we know the report is innacurate.

Watch the whole Press Conference here:

http://www.necn.com/Boston/NECN-Extra/2009/07/29/911-caller-in-Henry-Gates-case/1248885044.html

Question - Who is the mystery elderly woman who stopped Ms. Whalen?

Sgt. Crowley Has Some Explaining To Do!

Hmmm! Now we have heard the controversial 911 tapes in the arrest of esteemed Harvard scholar and world renowned expert of African American studies, Prof. Henry Louis Gates, Jr.

The arresting officer, Sgt. James Crowley police report now seems to have some inconsistencies. More like he wrote some stuff in there to cover his tracks. The 911 caller, Lucia Whalen, clearly does not say anything about two black men with backpacks. Through her attorney, she also denies ever speaking with Sgt. Crowley.

From Sgt Crowley's police report regarding a conversation with Ms Whaley:

She went on to tell me that she observed what appeared to be two black males with backpacks on the porch of Ware Street," the report says. "She told me that her suspicions were aroused when she observed one of the men wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry." http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/07/27/gates.arrest/index.html

Sadly, Sgt. Crowley's police report which is innacurate was taken as Bible. The racists who think they are God commentators like O'Reilly, Hannity and Rush Limbaugh ran with the report to paint Prof. Gates as a black man who got out of line. In fact, the truth is looking more like Prof. Gates was arrested for being 'uppity' to a white man. Listen to the tapes, Sgt. Crowley clearly says that he has ID that the man in the house if Henry Louis Gates, and he is told over the radio that the house belongs to the Prof. Yet, he is not satisfied and calls for Harvard police and more cars. Clearly Sgt. Crowley did not expect a black man to live in that house on Ware St. We also don't hear Prof. Gates screaming at the officer.

And like I said in a previous blog, because of this incident even our President, was reminded that even though he is the President he is still an n-word! Oh yeah, white America was mad at our black President for speaking out against racial profiling. It would be easy to sweep racism under the carpet expect white folks constantly remind black folks of their place in society...the bottom. The legacy of slavery lingers.

I am also disgusted when I read that Prof. Gates 'behaved badly' , should have been more civil, and subservient and docile. In other words, Black folks aren't supposed to act like they have brains in front of white people. How dare you a black man, speak up to a white man, in your own home!

As to Lucia Whalen, her name goes down in history even though she was well intentioned. Too bad she did not come forward sooner so that everyone could see the truth about Sgt. Crowley's police report.

Cambridge has established a panel to investigate the incident. Cambridge police internal affairs also needs to investigate. There is a lot of subtle racism in Cambridge, this issue has exposed the city to the world for what it really is.

Meanwhile, President Obama is expected to host Sgt. Crowley and Prof. Gates at the White for beers on Thursday, July 30, 2009. That will be an interesting event indeed.