Today's New York Times buries on page A13 what should have been a front-page story about white racism in Cambridge, Massachusetts, hometown of Harvard University--the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. in his own home by Cambridge Police Sergeant James Crowley, after a "white female caller" (covering for a white person, while embarrassing a black man, the racist NY Times does not reveal the name, but it is in the police report as "Lucia Whalen," described as a fundraiser for Harvard University's Harvard Magazine by Gawker) reported seeing black men on the porch of the home. Instead of slamming the door on the racist police officer, Gates argued with him--accused him of racism with the words: "Why, because I'm a black man in America?" Subsequently, the Times reports that Sergeant Crowley handcuffed Professor Gates and arrested him, holding him at police headquarters for hours before his release. Gates is represented by another Harvard Professor, Charles J. Ogletree.Not only is Gates owed an apology, he is owed a great deal of money for wrongful arrest as well as civil rights violations. I hope he sues the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Police Department as well as Harvard University and the Harvard Police Department which reportedly participated in the incident--and doesn't settle the case before a public trial...
Link to NY Times story here.
More from the Boston Globe, here: http://www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2009/07/21/racial_talk_swirls_with_gates_arrest/ and here.
Boston Herald story, here.
Harvard Crimson story, here.
AP story, here.
Cambridge Police report, here.
Professor Ogletree's statement on behalf of Professor Gates, from Gawker, below:
This is a statement concerning the arrest of Professor Gates. On July 16th, 2009, Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 58, the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor of Harvard University, was headed from Logan airport to his home at 17 Ware Street in Cambridge after spending a week in China, where he was filming his new PBS documentary entitled "Faces of America". Professor Gates was driven to his home by a driver for a local car company. Professor Gates attempted to enter his front door, but the door was damaged. Professor Gates then entered his rear door with his key, turned off his alarm, and again attempted to open the front door. With the help of his driver they were able to force the front door open, and then the driver carried Professor Gates's luggage into his home.Here's a photo of Professor Gates before the arrest:
Professor Gates immediately called the Harvard Real Estate office to report the damage to his door and requested that it be repaired immediately. As he was talking to the Harvard Real Estate office on his portable phone in his house, he observed a uniformed officer on his front porch. When Professor Gates opened the door, the officer immediately asked him to step outside. Professor Gates remained inside his home and asked the officer why he was there. The officer indicated that he was responding to a 911 call about a breaking and entering in progress at this address. Professor Gates informed the officer that he lived there and was a faculty member at Harvard University. The officer then asked Professor Gates whether he could prove that he lived there and taught at Harvard. Professor Gates said that he could, and turned to walk into his kitchen, where he had left his wallet. The officer followed him. Professor Gates handed both his Harvard University identification and his valid Massachusetts driver's license to the officer. Both include Professor Gates's photograph, and the license includes his address.
Professor Gates then asked the police officer if he would give him his name and his badge number. He made this request several times. The officer did not produce any identification nor did he respond to Professor Gates's request for this information. After an additional request by Professor Gates for the officer's name and badge number, the officer then turned and left the kitchen of Professor Gates's home without ever acknowledging who he was or if there were charges against Professor Gates. As Professor Gates followed the officer to his own front door, he was astonished to see several police officers gathered on his front porch. Professor Gates asked the officer's colleagues for his name and badge number. As Professor Gates stepped onto his front porch, the officer who had been inside and who had examined his identification, said to him, "Thank you for accommodating my earlier request," and then placed Professor Gates under arrest. He was handcuffed on his own front porch.
Professor Gates was taken to the Cambridge Police Station where he remained for approximately 4 hours before being released that evening. Professor Gates's counsel has been cooperating with the Middlesex District Attorneys Office, and the City of Cambridge, and is hopeful that this matter will be resolved promptly. Professor Gates will not be making any other statements concerning this matter at this time.
