I just saw an article saying that Henry Louis Gates, Jr was arrested for breaking into his own home.
At my grad school, Gates did a visiting lecture thing; at the time, he was recovering from a hip replacement or something, and had to walk a bunch every day. But the local profs--including the really white guys--warned him not to walk near his hotel or he'd be followed by the police, because the police in that area really focused on Black men, and not in a good way. I guess my grad school has some little thing in common with Harvard after all, eh?
I wonder how the town/gown relations are between Harvard and Cambridge? In the NorthWoods, the local newspaper would LOVE for a prominent professor to get arrested for something, anything. And, unfortunately, a black man in this community is at risk of being stopped for DWB.
Racism--we need to end it better than we have so far.
damned right, he was upset by being arrested AT his house, AFTER the officer drew him outside, supposedly because the neighbors were upset -- not [according to the responding officer] by the sight of a bunch of cops on the lawn, but by the resident of the house being upset at being accosted by police in his own house.
ReplyDeletegood thing the charges were dropped swiftly. but not swiftly enough for Gates to avoid a few hours down at the jail.
This one got down my neck but good.
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