What Do You Call a Black Man with a Ph.D.?

The Skip Gates arrest shows how little some features of the national racial landscape have changed over time.

By: Lawrence Bobo | Posted: July 21, 2009 at 11:52 AM

Associated Press

Ain’t nothing post-racial about the United States of America.

I say this because my best friend, a well-known, middle-aged, affluent, black man, was arrested on his own front porch after showing his identification to a white police officer who was responding to a burglary call. Though the officer quickly determined that my friend was the rightful resident of the house and knew by then that there was no burglary in progress, he decided to place my friend in handcuffs, put him in the back of a police cruiser and have him fingerprinted and fully “processed,” at our local police station.

This did not happen at night. It happened in the middle of the day. It did not happen to a previously unknown urban black male. It happened to internationally known, 58-year-old Henry Louis “Skip” Gates Jr. I am writing about this event because it is an outrage, because I want others to know that it is an outrage, and because, even now, I have not fully processed the meaning of it.

Here’s what I understand to have happened: The officer in my friend’s case was really motivated by a simmering cauldron of anger that my friend had not immediately complied with his initial command to step out of the house. In hindsight, that was the right thing to do since I think my friend could have been physically injured by this police officer (if not worse) had he, in fact, stepped out of his home before showing his ID. Black Americans recall all too well that Amadou Diallo reached for his identification in a public space when confronted by police and, 42 gun shots later, became the textbook case of deadly race-infected police bias.

Skip is one of the most readily recognized black men in America and the most broadly influential black scholar of this generation. And yes, in the liberal, politically correct cocoon of “the people’s Republic of Cambridge,” a famous, wealthy and important black man was arrested on his front porch. The ultimate charge? “Disorderly conduct.” Whatever that means.

Even before the charge were dropped Tuesday, I knew in my bones that this officer was wrong. I knew in my bones that this situation was about the level of deference from a black male that a white cop expects. I say this even though I did not see the events themselves unfold. What I do know with certainty is that the officer, even by his own written report, understood that he was dealing with a lawful resident of the house when he made the arrest. That same report makes it clear that at the time of the arrest, the officer was no longer concerned about the report of a “burglary in progress” involving “two black males.” No, by this point we’re talking about something else entirely.

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Black out, thats what I call it. I never watch a show who does not have at least one person of color in it and the person has to be of the same stature as the other characters. The two shows you mentioned was never on my programming schedule. No reality there, lets face it there are interracial couples in this country even in this world so to watch a show with all white doesn't suit my sense of reality. I agree whole heartedly with your analysis of the I love New York business, my girls watched it but I could not stand the uncouthness of it, and don't even get me started with that Flav character, just disgusting. I use to watch GH , the soap but they have become so pasty white I cannot stand to watch it even though I have to admit that I grew up watching that show. I was a lot more interested when they had black actors on there who were somebody and looked like somebody, the only one they have on there worth watching is Kent Masters and you see her rarely. She is wasting her time on that show, she could have replaced my beloved Renee Goldsberry on OLTL as far as I am concerned because that storyline was rocking and real. Oh yes there is a great deal on the tube that I don't watch simply because if they are all white characters I have nothing to learn from it but racism. It makes me cringe also to see people of color always doing comedy on TV, its like they cannot do anything else and get an audience, and I really don't want to hear that its money because people like Oprah could be directing a fine show, she has the money and the saviness to do so, but you can't just make the show all black either, there needs to be some sense of balance. I like shows where there is diversity and thats what I look for when I decide I am going to watch a program. So I agree with your article but I can take it so many steps further. Its all over the place.
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