Hermene Hartman: The Case of Henry Gates

The Case of Henry Gates

If you asked the slave master what he thought about corporal punishment, his response might have been, "It is necessary to whip the slaves and treat them with brutal force because it teaches discipline and ensures productivity." Conversely, if you asked the slave about corporal punishment, the slave's response might have been, "Treatment in captivity is inhumane because humanity is totally disregarded."

Retrospectively speaking, both views have legitimacy; and there you have the roots of the racial reality perspective in America.

The unfortunate incident of Harvard Professor Henry Louis "Skip" Gates being arrested on the porch of his home in Cambridge, Mass., begs many questions. This occurrence has captured national attention, and the commentary of pundits demonstrates a clear, black and white racial divide about perceptions.

Was Gates a victim of racism?

Did the police officer do the right thing by arresting Gates? Was the officer just following police procedure? Why was he arrested on his porch when he had shown identification inside of his home that established him as the resident? Is this the brand of profiling that black men, in particular, experience daily from the hands of the police throughout the nation?

Is this a Rosa Parks moment, where this high-profile arrest brings about social change and a tipping point in race relations?

Will we discover the reason so many African American men are disparately sentenced to jail? Do white police officers treat black men differently from others--perhaps with preconceived notions, greater fear and with expectations about violence? Would the police have treated a white professor with the same lock-'em-up passion?

America's Taboo: The Fear of the Black Man

Gates' case could bring about a public dialogue and provide focus and a platform for an open and honest discussion about America's taboo: the fear of black men at large.

Let's be real. Sometimes men clash. First of all, let's ask why the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement did not weigh in with commentary, advice and perhaps even threatened a lawsuit?

Secondly, what is not reported on this absurdity of a clear case of racism is that Professor Gates is physically challenged and requires a custom-made shoe, built to provide him comfort and leverage while walking. He also walks with a cane for balance. This is not necessarily obvious because as he is seen on the TV, he is usually sitting. He is small in stature and probably would not be perceived as a threat by most. Many know Gates, but not all, kind of like a rock star. But what does it matter? Must you be a celebrity or an intellectual giant to be so outraged at the police's behavior that people listen to you? Must you live on Harvard grounds to attract media attention?

What happened to Gates is a daily occurrence in American ghettos. Police officers sometimes unfairly and unjustifiably stop black men while driving their cars. It's called a "DWB" incident (driving while black). Black men experience the unwarranted arrests by white officers daily.

This is the American way, no matter who occupies the White House's top spot.

President Barack Obama spoke out against the incident because he knows all too well the problem and validity of the Gates situation. For the first time since his winning pursuit of the White House, he related as a black man. Some Obama voters have been waiting for such a defining moment. Yes, the President of the United States is a black man and knows this black-man/cop dilemma. The president and his wife have friends who have had these types of experiences, so he knows it first hand.

It doesn't matter that Gates is a credentialed scholar. It doesn't matter that Gates is an author and researcher doing outstanding work at one of America's most elite universities. It doesn't matter that he had a driver delivering him to his doorstep from a recent trip to China. It doesn't matter that Gates has engaged groundbreaking research and shared it in a PBS documentary with worldwide acclaim. These social trappings are nice and speak to America's upper-echelon success. But what does matter is that Gates is a black man, and in some way, he was perceived as a threat. Thus, the arrest.

What does matter is that the Gates arrest proves that the notion of America's post-racial society is false. The Gates incident shows that America's attitude -- that is, the real attitude -- has not changed. The core of American racism still exists. Period and period. What is changing is how we perceive things. Rosa Parks sitting in the front on the bus was an illegal act. It was without apology. But Parks wasn't wrong for taking her seat; the law was wrong. Did the bus driver ever apologize to her?

Argue, if you will, whether or not it was or wasn't racial, there's a lot of gray area that only those who were present will ever know. We realize and recognize the subliminal and rawness of it all. It was racial. Black men are taught that if you are on the street or in your home and police arrest you, the best attitude is to keep it low. The best way out of it is to act humble, even when and if the officer is insulting and wrong. At the end of the day, the officer has a gun and you may not. The officer has arresting power and can cart you off to jail with fingerprints and a mug shot, no matter your "Who's Who" pedigree. Your life can be saved with humble, bowing actions.

When bad things happen to celebrity types, it brings attention, and that is the good news.

The injustice of the problem can be fairly addressed. To have the President of the United States speak to the Gates case is powerful. He was correct in saying that it was an act of stupidity; he forgot to call it a racist action. The president gave up his health bill message for a moment and made Gates center stage.

And perhaps the meeting Pres. Obama arranged between Gates and the police officer, James Crowley, will take race relations in America to yet another level. I just hope the White House meeting includes Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton so the discussion is full on. (The only problem is that the invite is to host a beer conversation. Jackson and Sharpton don't drink beer; they could be served ice-cold water.)

Sharpton could talk of the New York incident where policemen killed a young man, Amadou Diallo, when he reached for his wallet in his hallway. He was trying to show the police his identification. Jackson could talk about the dog bites and fire hoses that shaped the nation Walter Cronkite reported. The marchers clearly broke the law, and a president spoke up. And America changed.

Fess up, media commentators. It was a racial incident, and we should be ashamed. But we should also keep the conversation real -- or shut up.

I guess one thing has been proven: Post Racial USA is a figment of someone's imagination.

Stay strong, Mr. President. Speak up.