You have to be living under a rock if you hadn't heard about the present controversy involving Black Harvard professor and published Author Henry Louis Gates and a Cambridge police officer. If you haven't heard let me give you a brief synopsis as reported in the media:
Gates, on a return trip from China, upon approaching his house in a prestigous Cambridge residential area, realized he had misplaced his keys. So he and a colleague attempted to enter the house via "breaking in". A female neighbor witnessed the "break in" and contacted police, identifying 2 African American males with backpacks.
This is where the story starts to get interesting. The media reports that Mr Gates, after telling the officer that he was in his own home, was then asked to provide proof of residence. He then showed the cop his Driver's License as well as his Harvard ID, however, he was still arrested under charges of disorderly conduct, handcuffed (originally behind his back even though he is handicapped and uses a cain for walking) and taken to jail, where the charges have since been dropped.
In recent days, there has been back and forth bickering in regards to the situation. Gates demanded an apology. The officer basically said Hell No. Then when President Obama responded to the story, and replied with a justified summary of the history of police and minorities, claiming that the Cambridge police acted 'stupidly', he is now being attacked for disrespecting law enforcement and voicing a truth that i'm sure, even as a bi-racial black man, has ALSO been familiar to him at some point in his life.
Here's the problem. Once again, white America is showing how out of touch they as a society actually are. You know, what? Let me correct myself. Because white america isn't out of touch. They're just STILL in DENIAL. In 2009, white america still believes that they are innocent of all the injustices history has proven time and time again and that they bear no responsibility for the consequences of such actions. In 2009, white america believes that a Black president, while SIMPLY not knowing the specific circumstances of the event that took place, can't possibly know or understand what "Skip" Gates has just experienced. BULLSHIT!
Racial profiling is NOTHING new. Police all over our country have been getting away with it for decades. ALL THEY HAVE EVER BEEN IS GANGSTERS WITH BADGES & TOO MUCH AUTHORITY. Some have even been caught in the act only to be quickly forgiven and brushed under the table as if nothing ever happened, as if there was never a second side to the story involving an actual victim. And now they want an apology for calling THEM out? For what?! For doing the same shyt they been doing? Where are OUR apologIES?
But racial profiling doesn't just happen in law enforcement. Just yesterday on the news I was appalled to hear commentary on CNN from Lou Dobbs in particular, regarding a request that President Obama prove he is an American citizen by providing his birth certificate! I mean, seriously, the nerve of these people! Who the hell do they think they are to even consider asking something so ignorant with a straight face?! Since when does a president have to "prove he isn't illegal"? And although CNN/TVONE political analyst Roland Martin came to the defense of the president and the other side of the argument, the fact that these people can even turn their lips up to ask such a thing and see nothing wrong with it shows the Pathology of America that still exists, as does RACIAL PROFILING.
I thought long and hard about writing this blog. Mainly because when I state my views about black and white relations in 2009, I am often called a radical or a racist. In my opinion, I consider myself as a realist. Someone who actually knows and understands the racial politics of America and acknowledges that those issues do in fact still exist. And I thank God that I do, because those who don't will be forever lost. I cannot live my life in a haze. And you can not live in America as an African America without KNOWING AND UNDERSTANDING that no matter how sugar-coated racism appears in today's society, it does and will forever exist in ALL we do.
The Census shows that Caucasians in America will be a minority by 2050. If true, I pray to God that i'm not only around to witness that happen, but that i'm also around to witness the effects it has on them as a people. It seems that many live in this fairy tale land. And then, when the reality of it smacks them in the mouth, they don't like the taste. Like Roland Martin quoted on CNN, "One person's perception is another person's reality." It seems that they cannot grasp this concept. This is our reality.
Maybe one day, they will understand. Maybe one day they will actually TRY to understand instead of pointing the finger, re-directing responsibility for their own wrongs. But until then, we must continue to fight the good fight and not allow them or their authorities to continue to express not only their disdain FOR us, but also that our opinions, our experiences and our truths don't matter. That they are and always will be protected by the law, and we can do and say nothing about it.
Yes, I do believe Henry Gates, a black Harvard professor was racially profiled. I mean, why else would he still have been taken to jail upon providing proof of residency? The cop claimed it was because Gates was being belligerent. Gates denies that. Me, as an African American (female) who myself has also had slight run-ins with police, can say i'm sure all of Gates' professionalism flew out the window during this altercation. HOWEVER, that is NO grounds for arrest. And my opinion about MY presidents comment? Dead on!
I thought the reason we voted for Obama was because he was a people's president. He had the ability to SEEM to relate to us. How else could he have brought such a divided nation together for a moment in time? We ALL loved his truth and his understanding. Now though, when its a truth some wouldn't like to hear, there's a problem. SMH...come on people. Its still a truth nonetheless. So while i'm not surprised about the uproar concerning his comments, I hope and pray that he doesnt issue an apology or retract his statement.
Obama is stating things that we need to hear, not what we want to hear like so many other presidents in the past have done. I thought that was why we voted for him. Hopefully, this situation will continue to cause as much of an uproar as minority issues have in the past and become a tool in bridging minority and police relations. Because with a Black Commander in Chief (i love the sound of that), we as a country should be embarrassed of ourselves.
p.s. I DONT HATE WHITE PEOPLE LOL
A GOOD FOLLOW-UP ARTICLE BY ACTOR JEFFREY WRIGHT: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/07/24/wright.police.gates/index.html
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