UBUS Communications  

HENRY LOUIS GATES TO HIS ‘WAKE UP’ CALL

HOW WILL HE RE-ACT? How Should He?

-         news commentary –

by H. Khalif Khalifah

JULY 22, 2009 – SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY, VIRGINIA

The arrest and handcuffing of Harvard Dr. Henry Louis Gates is a world-wide event.

         As far away from Boston as Ghana, in West Africa, pictures have heard and seen the incredulous look on the face one of the most celebrated Black scholars of the last twenty-five years. Henry Louis Gates, whatever one may think or feel about his politics, marriage, some say , prostitution of the precious history of Black people, his volume of work in black philosophy, practice and actions speak for itself. In fact, we are going to do just that: this piece will not list any of his academic achievements; instead, we shall comment on possible reaction of this proud well connected Blackman to, perhaps, the most humiliation experience of a Black ‘conservative’  since the bus and arrest of Carl Rowan, in Washington, D. C., some 50 years ago.

NO LONGER JUST ABOUT LOUIS GATES

            First of all the arrest and abuse of Dr. Gates is no longer just about him. Al Sharpton will see to that, and have already said he is going to be at his arraignment in Boston, whenever they bring him before the judge. If they follow procedure, the charges against Mr. Gates must be dismissed by a Judge. Further more, just because a charge is dismissed does not mean the criminal record will not be just as much a part of Mr. Gates as his scholarship in Black history.

            With the above known facts about what happens when a person is arrested by police, the only thing uncertain is the reaction of Mr. Gates to them. He may sue the city of Cambridge and possibly make them “pay though the nose,” or he can go quietly into the way that Cambridge has already laid out for him. Or, if he is fully awakened, he will change his fitra (disposition) and let Rev. Al Sharpton lead his reaction to the arrest.

            Or, better still for black people, he will do what Thurgood Marshall did as a 87-year old Supreme Court Justice, in 1987 –castigate the white founding fathers for such a system. Since he, at 58 years old, has more vigor and energy, hopefully Mr. Gates will come out with the kinds of militancy and advocacy for the most radical end of the long spectrum of Black political thought and practice. This is the way that we feel will be most beneficial for Black people. However, you can be sure that it will not be best for the career Mr. Gates has built in “the system.” That is, America’s experiment in white supremacy.

H. Khalif Khalifah is founder of one of Black America’s major publishers, UBUS Communications Systems, in Southampton County, Virginia. He welcomes e-mail at publish@khabooks.com www.khabooks.com