Welcome to post-racial America!
by Carmen Van Kerckhove
Where you can get arrested for entering your own home, even if you’re one of the most famous professors in town and friends with Oprah:
Police arrived at Gates’s Ware Street home near Harvard Square at 12:44 p.m. to question him. Gates, director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, had trouble unlocking his door after it became jammed.
He was booked for disorderly conduct after “exhibiting loud and tumultuous behavior,” according to a police report. Gates accused the investigating officer of being a racist and told him he had “no idea who he was messing with,” the report said.
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Lorraine Said,
July 20, 2009 @ 3:34 pm
I am completely enraged right now. Basically, he got arrested for calling the investigator a “racist” for ARRESTING HIM FOR TRYING TO GET INTO HIS OWN HOME!
WHAT THE FUCK?! *head explodes*
Uptown Notes - On Swimming Pools, Harvard Arrests, and Flash Point Racism Said,
July 21, 2009 @ 7:42 am
[...] With each subsequent email, I’ve been reminded “this is post-racial America” 1, 2. The type of tongue-in-cheek commentary, I imagine, is meant to elucidate the continued [...]
Corinne Lightweaver Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 10:47 am
Does anyone know if there is a non-profit that works specifically against racial profiling? I’d like to start a movement to donate money to the cause in Gates’ honor. Nothing can take away the horror of Gates’ experience for him, but if he knows that it motivated many more Americans to become activists against racial profiling, perhaps we can make something good come out of this travesty.
Sara no h. Said,
July 22, 2009 @ 2:43 pm
I’m with Corinne. What happened was awful and I hope we can use it to raise awareness – it’s not over yet folks. It’s not over yet.
On Swimming Pools, Harvard Arrests, and Flash Point Racism at Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture Said,
July 27, 2009 @ 10:00 am
[...] of the like. With each subsequent email, I’ve been reminded “this is post-racial America” 1, 2. The type of tongue-in-cheek commentary, I imagine, is meant to elucidate the continued [...]