The Endless Distraction

By D.R. Boatwright Special Guest Contributor

With the Presidential Election of 2008 concluding with Barack Obama the victor and the endless elation that ensued in the days and weeks thereafter, many thought that our country had finally come to the proverbial “fork in the road” regarding race relations. Unfortunately, many of us forgot that euphoria is nothing more than a “temporary” sensation of excitement. Now that the ecstasy of Obama’s unpredictable victory has subsided we have been jolted back to reality with yet another incident consumed with racial implications. This incident not only regulates us to the same timeless conversation with no viable solution in sight, but divides us at a critical point in the history of our nation. It can be argued that racism has served as a historical distraction that will significantly limit “liberty and justice for all” and rather than overcoming it together, we have become accustomed to tolerating levels of it.

The incident I am alluding to involves Harvard professor, Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Cambridge Massachusetts police officer Sgt. James Crowley. Apparently Dr. Gates misplaced his keys and broke into his “own” home. A neighbor saw the actions of Dr. Gates and reported it to the authorities. Moments later Sgt. Crowley arrived on the scene to investigate a possible break-in. At this point two versions of the story reveal themselves with no explicit evidence as to which side is stating the truth. Based on both versions I can see where both individuals could have made better decisions. First, it is apparent that Dr. Gates was disobliging during the questioning process…and, based on your perspective, he had good reason. However, patience and cooperation along with valid identification that it was his home could have diffused the situation. Second, regardless of how unaccommodating Dr. Gates was, he was doing so on “his” property. After discovering that it was Dr. Gates’ residence Sgt. Crowley should have left the premises. Instead, he allowed himself to get immersed deeper into the situation resulting in him arresting Dr. Gates for disorderly conduct in his own home…which, to paraphrase President Obama, was just stupid.

On two separate occasions an amicable resolution could have been reached but because of the impatience of a black scholar and the undeniable misjudgment of a white police officer we are focused on this unnecessary soap opera. In the meantime, the likelihood that the unemployment rate will exceed 10% by the end of the year is highly probable, Congress will be on August recess which puts healthcare on hold and the energy crisis has still not been resolved. Racism is not a trivial matter but it does not supersede these and other issues that we all need to solve together. Until we decide that we to truly want to “get along” instead of tolerating each other this situation will continue to play out in the landscape of our country. Tolerance of this ignorant ideology is not what I want for my country and neither should you.

D.R. Boatwright is a Senior Curriculum Analyst and Writer for Empowered Young Men, an organization designed to reprogram and develop young black men into leaders. Our slogan “Cultivating Dreams by Reconstructing Reality” gets at the essence of what we do. By surrounding young black men with older more successful black men and helping them build a positive network of people from all walks of life to support their dreams, we know that we can get them excited about life, education and the great resources America has to offer.

D.R. Boatwright can be contacted at drboatwright@empoweredyoungmen.org