Everyday Racism

The Advocate posted a telling story about prominent Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Gates got locked out of his house, and tried to get back in. A "local woman" called the police, because all she saw was an African-American man attempting to get into a house on the Harvard University campus. The police went into this situation also with the assumption that this was a break-in. Of course Gates would be indignant and outraged, especially since some police offers like to play up their authority and act like bullies. Gates was arrested for "disorderly conduct" and released on a $40 bail.

I was born and raised in the Northeast, where racism and segregation is still a part of everyday life. If you are a person of color in a predominantly white neighborhood, the residents will call the police if they do not know you, or if a neighbor cannot "speak for" you. If you are a person of color driving through a predominantly white neighborhood in a nice car, the police will come to check you out. This is what happened to my Foundations of Education professor Dr. George Fouron.

Dr. Fouron happened to work at a university on the North Shore of Long Island, New York, where now and then he would take a shortcut through one of the whitey white old money neighborhoods while driving his Mercedes Benz. One day he was late for class, and he told us that the reason he was late was because a policeman stopped him simply because he was a person of color driving through a white neighborhood in a Mercedes Benz. I was shocked. But I was even more shocked when a young man raised his hand and said, "Dr. Fouron, don't worry. I work for the police department and can get you a pass that will tell the police that you are OK."

No one said a word. I don't know if it was because they were as stunned as I was with this drama that played out before us on the stage of our lecture hall, or because they agreed with this system. I just didn't know what to say. How degrading this all must have been for Dr. Fouron.

Anyway, the responses to the article about Henry Louis Gates Jr. sickened me. You can read the article and the comments here.

This story reached President Obama's ear, and he had something to say about it:

Obama Criticizes Police Handling of Professor Henry Louis Gates

Please understand that when these incidents are brought to light, and when everyone speaks out against the bad behavior of police, it actually improves how the police treat everyone.

For the record, I am watching a lot of documentaries these days about racism in Russia. The Russian police do not provide security for anyone, especially if those people are not ethnic Eastern Orthodox Russians. In fact, many of the Russian police who are sent to arrest some of the most outspoken leaders of ultra right wing xenophobic groups tell those dudes, "Sorry man, I am just doing my job...if I wasn't a policeman I would be marching with you."

The United States has come a LONG WAY. Always remember that the police are PUBLIC SERVANTS, hired to KEEP THE PEACE and TO MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL FEEL SECURE.

They are not hired thugs, they are not skinheads, they are not vigilantes, they are not Klansmen. There is no reason why any innocent person should feel threatened or intimidated of a blue uniform, or be put on the defensive when approached by someone in a blue uniform.