Tuesday, February 16, 2010

Professor Gates, you can keep those chains.



In a further attempt to mask America’s social ills with levity, Harvard professor Henry Louis “Skip” Gates is donating his infamous handcuffs to the new National Museum of African American History and Culture. You remember awhile back when Gates was arrested for “Breaking In” to his own house by an overzealous Sgt James Crowley. His white neighbor called the police on him because she noticed a suspicious character around “His” house. The incident touched off a faux racial firestorm. Some black officers stepped up to defend Crowley – even in the face of Uncle Tom taunts. President Obama was rebuked by white folks for “defending his own” in his response to the incident. And for a brief moment (extremely brief) black folks thought they saw the real 1st black president. But in the end, everything was brushed over with Beer and Peanuts at the White House.


How did Gates get those handcuffs you might wonder? Apparently Gates received the handcuffs from Crowley when they met for a drink after the “White House Beer Summit.” Again you are wondering why Crowley gave him the handcuffs. Maybe Gates asked for them because he is a collector of slave memorabilia? Or maybe Crowley wanted him to have a reminder of his walk of shame to the precinct. Either way, the National Museum of African American History and Culture does not need those handcuffs. I would rather see the handcuffs that were used on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, El-Hajj Malik El Shabazz aka Malcolm X and any of the participants (Known and Unknown) in the Civil Rights Movement. But I don’t want to see the handcuffs that were put on Gates. His chains don’t represent Black History. They represent the covering up of it.

7 comments:

Val said...

Did you see Gates' PBS show when he found out that he supposedly has more White blood than Black? That fool was so happy he actually giggled.

Tiffany said...

I didn't know what to think about that whole incident. Was his neighbor truly unsure of who he was at his own door or was it all blown up because an idiot couldn't see that the man lived in the house. But I can assure you that I have lost respect for Mr. Gates. His situation was nothing like the ones black people went through in the past and he needs to get off himself and go back to his day job. Looking up celebrity genealogies for Oprah.

Tiffany
http://liferequiresmorechocolate.blogspot.com/

Citizen Ojo said...

Val - I've heard people say that the man that is so stuck on discovering black history has a thing for being white. The verdict is still out for me but giggled? mmmmm...

Redbonegirl97 - "His situation was nothing like the ones black people went through in the past." My Point Exactly!!! His cuffs don't belong in a museum. And why would he want them anyway?? SMH!!!

Nik said...

Lmao @ Val's comment that the man giggled. Wow.

I agree with you, he needs to get back to his day job and stop this nonsense. I'd also rather see the cuffs in the museum of someone who made a change for us!

Citizen Ojo said...

Nik - The funny or sad thing about Val's comment is that I can actually see him doing it.

Unknown said...

LOL @ Val's comment
I agree with Nik

the uppity Negro said...

Meh, not the biggest fan of Gates, especially after that documentary on the slave trade he did, BUT, I think his handcuffs are representative of the shackles that many black males have been shackled by.

I don't know about donating them to the National Museum of African American History and Culture, but I definitely wouldn't have a problem with them being a part of his personal collection that at one time may be donated to a museum.