(This booking photo released by the Cambridge, Mass., Police Dept., shows Harvard scholar Henry Louis Gates, Jr., who was arrested while trying to force open the locked front door of his home near Harvard University. SOURCE)
Police responding to a call about "two black males" breaking into a home near Harvard University ended up arresting the man who lives there Henry Louis Gates Jr. one of our nation's best known scholars and Director of the W. E. B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research. Gates had forced his way through the front door because it was jammed. Gates was arrested and held for 4 hours. Then a few days later the charges were dropped. You can read more about it here.
Today President Obama did a beautiful job in a recent press conference responding to a question about the arrest of Harvard Professor Henry Louis Gates. (You can view a video of his response here.) Obama said, in response to a question from the Chicago Sun-Times's Lynn Sweet:
I don’t know – not having been there and not seeing all the facts – what role race played in that, but I think it’s fair to say number one any of us would be pretty angry, number two that the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in their own home, Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all the facts.
(Obama responds to the arrest.)
I'm very glad that he did not soft-pedal this issue. But, that he said that something went wrong. That was clear enough since the charges were dropped. "There was a report called into the police station that there might be a burglary taking place – so far so good," Obama said, adding that he'd hope the police were called if he were seen breaking into his own house. Obama went on to say:
Separate and apart from this incident is that there’s along history in this country of African-American and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately ... That’s just a fact ... That doesn't lessen the incredibly progress that has been made.
Media outlet are highlighting the fact that he said "the Cambridge police acted stupidly" this is what those who feel the need to take issue with this rational assessment of the situation will respond to the most. But I am glad that Obama said it. And it is perhaps our inability to question police actions that requires the most examination in order to make progress in this area.
Please also see the diary: Henry Louis Gates' Arrest, In His Own Words by stef. And rec it too!