Photo: #Warren Goldstein is a professor of history and chair of the history department at the University of Hartford.
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Warren Goldstein is a professor of history and chair of the history department at the University of Hartford. (Submitted photo)

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Gates arrest is a teaching moment, if we'll listen

by Warren Goldstein
July 28, 2009

Last October I flew to Sarasota, Fla., and arranged to stay at the home of a friend who was traveling at the time. She mailed me keys and an address.

I landed late and took a cab. When we pulled up in front of the house, which I'd never seen before, it was very dark, so I asked the cabbie to wait while I let myself in.

The keys didn't work in the front door. Or the back door. With rising anxiety -- it was 11 p.m., after all -- I called my friend, but she wasn't answering her cell phone. We tried the keys in both doors again; no luck.

Just before heading back to the airport, where I figured I could find a hotel, I tried my friend again. This time she picked up.

I explained my problem, describing the front door -- and she started laughing. "You're in the wrong place. You'd better get out of there before someone calls the cops." We were on the wrong street.

While the driver was consulting his GPS, sure enough, a cop appeared behind us. We stopped; the cop came over; the cabbie explained; he and the cop had a chuckle; the cop returned to his car; we drove on to the right place, and the keys fit. All was well.

I thought of this story when I read about the recent arrest of Henry Louis Gates after entering his own house.

The worst thing that happened to me was that I had to feel stupid and frustrated for 15 minutes. It never occurred to me that I wouldn't be able to talk my way out of any problem.

That's because my story involves four white people -- the cabbie, my friend, the cop, and me. I think now it's fair to say that there isn't a black man in America who could tell a story like mine.

Gates is probably the most famous black professor in the world, and was in his own home in one of the most liberal cities in the entire country. Of course he was furious. Still the white officer arrested him -- even after he knew it was Gates' home.

My hope is that lots of white folks will finally get what our African-American brothers and sisters have been trying to get through our thick skulls for about half a century now. It's different being black. No matter whether we think we are racists. And anyway, no person of color believes any white person who says, "I'm not a racist."

Every day, we white people benefit from being white, from white ancestry, and from acting as if we deserve the benefits of being white.

When we hunt for housing, real estate agents regard us more favorably. We don't get followed by store security. We get better deals from car salesmen, more generous treatment from juries, and -- despite myths of rampant affirmative action -- our kids rarely compete with equally qualified African-American kids because so many urban schools, where most black kids are educated, are flat-out disasters.

Racism thrives in many places -- in hospital emergency rooms, in bank loan departments, in country clubs and churches and synagogues and universities. And in police departments.

White cops treat black men as criminals all the time -- all the time. And the Police Benevolent Association (PBA) everywhere defends every white officer who gets caught out -- even on video.

In Cambridge, the city and police department dropped the charges, calling the incident "regrettable and unfortunate" -- not the PBA, which gave its "full and unqualified support" to the officer's actions.

The incident even provoked President Obama, who's stayed pretty far away from race issues since being elected, into saying that the police acted "stupidly." He's since backtracked and invited both Gates and the officer who arrested him, Sgt. James Crowley, to the White House for a beer. It's a great start on what needs to happen.

But it's only a start. We need to transform police training top to bottom on the subject of race. The fact that the Cambridge cop taught the class about racial profiling suggests there's a good bit more work to do on the subject. Then we can start on banks, credit card companies, churches, synagogues and universities.

Gates has always had flair -- for figuring out new ideas and new trends, and for generating publicity. I don't wish upon him the fear he must have felt in his doorway, treated like a criminal in his own home. But he may have given white Americans one of the best teaching moments about race that we've ever had. If only we pay attention to it.

----

Warren Goldstein, a former fellow at the University of Minnesota Humanities Institute, teaches American history and chairs the history department at the University of Hartford. His most recent book, authored with Christopher Gabrieli, is "Time to Learn: How a New School Schedule is Making Smarter Kids, Happier Parents, and Safer Neighborhoods."

Comments (8)

Thanks. Telling piece. If only more folks would seek out and read this kind of piece...

Posted by Alexandra Thayer from Plainfield, DC | July 30, 2009 2:59 PM

I have been reading a lot of commentary on this issue, and there seems to be two sides to the discussion. Neither side seems to be able to even get the facts straight on those points where the police and Prof Gates say the same thing. The sides can be described thusly.

The conservative side consists of prejudice denying racists, and the liberal side that believes in ready fire aim. Your commentary is clearly the latter.

So, on this I will say:

What a patronizing piece of tripe!

"My hope is that lots of white folks will finally get what our African-American brothers and sisters have been trying to get through our thick skulls for about half a century now. It's different being black."

You know, professor, there are a lot of black people who can say that, much better than you did. Yet you seem to be over playing it as if to identify with Gates through (non-)shared suffering.

You are the chair of the History dept? I hope your department specializes in ancient history, you can't seem to get the facts straight on a very current event. Go over Prof Gate's statements again. What you said doesn't even agree with what he reported.

Hint: He was not arrested for anything to do with breaking into the house.

If and when the tapes of the conversations between Crowley and the police station are released, the background that allegedly includes Prof Gates' loud and abusive comments, if they are there, will tell us which side is telling the truth. Until then you are shooting off your mouth, or word processor before you have all the facts. Good propaganda, bad history.

If the facts ever do come out, that will be the true teaching moment. Most likely it will teach not to blow off until you actually know what you are talking about.

Oh, and the racists on the conservative side I mentioned above, I have done a hell of a lot better job of dealing with them than you begin to touch in this piece.

Posted by Robert Klahn from Sylvania, OH | July 30, 2009 8:52 PM

When we hunt for housing, real estate agents regard us more favorably. We don't get followed by store security. We get better deals from car salesmen, more generous treatment from juries, and -- despite myths of rampant affirmative action -- our kids rarely compete with equally qualified African-American kids because so many urban schools, where most black kids are educated, are flat-out disasters."

Oh, ya think so? This sounds like classism to me. Maybe your children rarely compete with equally qualified blacks, but your children undoubtably go to top rated schools.

First consider, there are about 3 times as many poor whites as poor blacks in this country.

It was just a few years ago the govt reported there is more poverty in the suburbs than the inner cities now. And there have long been more poor and more welfare recipients in rural areas than in inner cities.

Then look at the SAT scores, you might be a bit surprised.

Broken down by communities, small cities are right on the average for SAT scores. The suburbs are well above the average. Rural areas and big cities are both below the average, and by nearly the same amount. Big cities score worse on verbal, and rural areas score worse in math.

So, when the rural whites compete with big city blacks, they just may be on a level field. Which may be why prejudice is believed to be common among rural whites.

Posted by Robert Klahn from Sylvania, OH | July 30, 2009 10:59 PM

I'm not impressed. Gates pulled the same narcissistic sense of entitlement that every white politician pulls when pulled over by p0lice--Don't you know who I am. But he upped the ante but insisting this was a racist act. My blood boils every time I hear some elitist say to the police "Don't you know who I am" and I don't discriminate. My blood equally boils at Gate's behavior. He should have told the police how thrilled he was that they were protecting his neighborhood, even if no crime was committed. He would be the first to complain if the police didn't come quick enough if his house was broken into. Come on.

Posted by Dean Rosen from St. Louis, MO | July 30, 2009 11:02 PM

Thia is a best ever article by Prof. Goldstein. I am a 77 yr old retired white female doctor of paychology; now have the professor write about the continued white man's bias about women, whatever color. JEC

Posted by Jane Chapman | August 2, 2009 7:34 AM

I applaud you for taking the time to demonstrate how the Gates situation might actually be a teachable moment if we were able to release our inner baggage. I agree with only one point made by my fellow Ohioan. Let's wait for the official transcripts. We have already found errors with the Crowley report now that the 911 call transcript has been released. Nevertheless, I totally agree with the President's first impression. Police do act stupidly if they arrest someone proven to be in their own home and not breaking any laws.

Posted by Valerie Lee from Dayton, OH | August 5, 2009 8:24 PM

Lord help us - both Gates and Crowley were wrong and it is hard to admit that first to oneself, but especially to the world. The world saw something about both me, let's learn from it. All is well, but let's make it better and not bitter. Enough Said...

Posted by Daria Dillard Stone from Dayton, OH | August 6, 2009 11:48 AM

Thank God someone white has the nerve to tell the truth. White America really do not understand why we have a chip on our shoulder. All we want is to be treated equally and fairly.

Posted by Lynette Perry from Hazel Crest,Ill, IL | August 11, 2009 11:06 PM

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