Living While Black: Skip Gates Is Just The Latest Victim

Thanks, Samantha, for pointing out a tendency by some white people to show, as you say, a “reflexive defense mechanism” whenever another white person, usually one in a position of power, is accused of showing racism. Coming from me, a black person, similiar sentiments are often dismissed as biased. But aren't the white people defending Officer Crowley and criticizing Skip Gates also showing bias?

The difference in perception is predicated on a simple fact: Most white people have never experienced, and could never imagine, such a thing happening to them or their loved ones. But if you’re black, you’ve probably experienced an unpleasant, potentially dangerous, encounter with white police, or know some other black person who has. In my case there have been several such encounters.

I was once stopped on a Brooklyn street by two white officers while I was on my way to catch a train to my college campus on Long Island. They accused me of having robbed a clothing store owner. Even after they snatched my duffle bag from my shoulder and emptied its contents on the sidewalk—a pair of jeans and some other clothing, two textbooks, and my college ID—they forced me into the cruiser and took me to the store in question to ask the owner if I was the stick-up kid who’d robbed him. My brother was once severely beaten by white police officers in upstate New York who mistook him for bank robber. Never mind that he was withdrawing money from his own bank account at the time. My sister’s former stepson was accosted by several police officers after inquiring about CD rates at several South Florida banks. They mistook him for a potential bank robber. I could go on, but you get my drift. (And don’t get me started on the number of times I’ve been pulled over for Driving While Black.)

I was a girl when my brother was beaten and unable to do anything about it. But when the stepson was racially profiled, I was a reporter, and I certainly fought back. His story ran in the Miami Herald, where I worked at the time, and later on the front page of the New York Times. He went to court and sued the cops, and he won. It was sweet revenge. I can’t wait to see how Skip Gates gets his with Cambridge’s finest.

Photograph of police near a memorial for a black New York teen who was shot and killed by police by Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Tags: henry louis gates, Race, racial profiling

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Marjorie Valbrun is a contributing writer at The Root where she writes about the intersection of race, gender and politics.

Comments

Can you explain something?

By: Lisa96 | Thu, 07/23/2009 - 21:00

I've read the police report and the backup officer's police report. According to the police report Prof. Gates was abusive, initially refused to show ID, followed the police officer out of the home to continue his abuse, was gathering a crowd and was twice warned that he was becoming disruptive and would be arrested if he didn't stop. The police report makes it clear that he should have been arrested.

So if you are criticizing the officer as being racist and his actions unjust, then you don't accept the police report as submitted even though no contradictory evidence has been put forward by anyone except Prof. Gates.

Please tell me which police reports should simply be thrown out even if there is no contradictory evidence. Those involving Harvard Professors? Those involving the rich and connected? Or those involving black men since your argument is the officer was racist?

And please tell me how our justice system will function when police reports are no longer considered reliable witnesses.

At the risk of perpetuating my preceived racism..

By: xxreader | Thu, 07/23/2009 - 12:15

Besides you and your relatives being black, what are the other similarities between your situation and the Gates arrest? I ask this sincerely.

Do you think that if a white person was the owner of the house they would not have asked for his ID? Do you believe that if a white person stood up to a cop nothing would have happened? Right or wrong, cops do not like to be challenged. Thankfully, we have a judicial system.

The only reason the cops showed up at Gates' house was because the cops were called by a neighbor.

This isn't a case of Driving While Black or being in front of your house while black. The cops followed up on a call and asked for ID. Gates asked for the officer's badge and name. The officer should have given his badge and name - he didn't. The officer was on his way out. Gates followed him repeatedly requesting his name and badge. The officer got defensive and arrogant and arrested him. The officer was clearly in the wrong. The charges were dropped.

This is a case of an officer being a prick. I do not believe this fits the definition of racial profiling. You outlined the circumstances of racial profiling quite well. Please explain to me how the Gates situation fits this definition.

For the record, I do not think Gates should have been arrested. I agree that there is racial profiling and it is abhorrent. The reason for my comments is Samantha's insistence that no one should play devil's advocate here and that we should take it on face value that Gates was arrested simply because he is black. I disagree.