Harvard Professor’s Arrest Demonstrates Deep Racism

July 21, 2009 by Jill Garvey
Filed under: American Identity, News 
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Last week one of our country’s most respected African-American scholars was arrested by Cambridge police. Unsurprisingly, this isn’t the first time a Harvard professor has fallen victim to racial profiling by police. Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. was arrested Thursday afternoon at his home by Cambridge police investigating a possible break-in. Gates was simply attempting to repair a damaged door at his own home. By the time police arrived he was already inside and produced identification to prove his residence. They arrested him anyway.

Racism at our nation’s highest academic institutions isn’t new. But is this because it occurs more often in white affluent environments or because we pay more attention when someone of distinction is the victim? While the answer may not be clear, this particular situation debunks many recent assumptions about race in America.

Just a few months ago a murder took place in a Harvard dorm building. Afterward an African-American Harvard student, Chanequa Campbell, was forced to move out of the same building and told she couldn’t graduate, despite having nothing to do with the crime. In response to public criticism, many commentators and even other students attacked her character and past behavior to justify the unfair treatment.

This is common in our “post-racial” America. Apparently it isn’t racial profiling if the target is already a criminal or, more likely, made to look like one. It’ll be interesting to see how the Cambridge community will spin the arrest of Professor Gates. The arresting officer already stated that Gates was arrested for “loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space.” Which is odd considering he was on his own property.

Campbell said at the time she was targeted, “The honest answer to that is that I’m black and I’m poor and I’m from New York and I walk a certain way and I keep my clothes a certain way,”.

She was singled out for mistreatment because she is black. But police and the Harvard community-at-large got away with it because she is poor, looks, walks, and talks a certain way. The lesson Cambridge police taught us last week is you are going to be targeted regardless of how well-spoken or -dressed you are. The aftermath may be different, but the initial humiliation will be the same.

Age of victims also comes into question. Movies and TV shows amplify misconceptions about conflicts between young urban black men and law enforcement. The reality, as demonstrated by Gates’ arrest, is African-Americans are racially profiled regardless of age. Young black men are just more vulnerable and easier to criminalize. Compartmentalizing racial profiling to black urban youth hides a much deeper racism in America.

We should take the injustices against Professor Gates and elevate the exposure of racism in every community, at every level.

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