Henry Louis Gates Jr Interview: Meeting with the Officer who Wrongfully Arrested Me

Henry Louis “Skip” Gates details being arrested on July 16, 2009 when he was mistakenly suspected of breaking into his own home and says he felt touched when Barack Obama spoke on the story in a press conference. Gates discusses Obama inviting him to the White House for a Beer Summit and later having a one-on-one meeting with Officer Crowley, the policeman who arrested him, and the larger issue of addressing police brutality.
Henry Louis Gates, Jr. is an Emmy and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker, literary scholar, journalist, and cultural critic, known for his pioneering theories of African and African American literature. He is currently the Alphonse Fletcher University Professor, having held this title since 2006, as well as the Director of the Hutchins Center for African and African American Research at Harvard University. He was first recruited to Harvard in 1991 to serve as the W.E.B. Du Bois Professor of the Humanities. Gates has authored and co-authored 24 books, and has produced and hosted over 20 documentary films including the PBS series "Finding Your Roots.". The recipient of 56 honorary degrees and numerous prizes, Gates was a member of the first class awarded “genius grants” by the MacArthur Foundation in 1981, and in 1998, he became the first African American scholar to be awarded the National Humanities Medal. In 2009, Gates was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, which spawned an acerbic national debate around racial profiling as well as public criticism of the Cambridge police department by President Obama.
From the 2021 three-part HBO documentary series Obama: In Pursuit Of A More Perfect Union. The personal and political journey of President Barack Obama is explored that weaves together conversations with colleagues, friends, and critics, alongside his own speeches and interviews.
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Henry Louis Gates Jr., Professor
Interviewed By: Peter Kunhardt
Interview Date: January 19, 2019
© Home Box Office and Kunhardt Film Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
#HenryLouisGatesJr #kunhardtfilmfoundation

[@usa_kenyan]

Wonderful discussion. I've had the honor of meeting professor Gates. Brilliant man.

[@christopherfegley421]

I can see why all Dr Gates' classes had waiting lists.

[@christopherfegley421]

He is not only a preeminent edu c actor he's a West Virginian in the best sense

[@LithaMoonSong]

I wish I could just hug him. Such a wonderful educator .

[@Storyraymond]

I love This man, he is very good at what he does! I can Watch his show for hours.

[@Shermansgreat3257]

Yes!❤❤❤❤❤

[@user-do6zs7qq3t]

This is 2024 ,when will we as black people ever live @ peace,I do not live in America have been living in Canada over 50 years and their is problem with Race here but it’s very bad in America and I ‘m very scared of going there one of my kid was offer a high profile job there but had to turn it down because of the problems of guns and race in that country.He found the same job in Canada.

[@jeanheard4615]

I never thought in my lifetime i would see America would accept a black man god is so good thank mr president

[@Margaret-gx6jf]

Yes, love this show. Education. Deep Breathe.🙏 Believe. Peace be with you. Always.✝️ 🇺🇲

[@kathleenstoin671]

I was outraged and horrified when I heard about Dr. Gates' arrest! I couldn't believe this could happen to such a man! It just proves that racism wins over common sense.

[@TL2354]

Why? It has zero to do with you

[@kathleenstoin671]

@@TL2354 So we aren't allowed to have a reaction over how someone is treated? Should I care about children being abused if it has zero to do with me? Should I care about anyone else at all? Maybe you should do some hard thinking about your own noncaring reactions.

[@staceyfromkc]

@@TL2354 Your statement show you are most definitely part of the problem

[@johnwayne2103]

The arrest yes but what Gates did to address the arrest was try to hold court in the streets and he immediately claimed racism.

[@Shermansgreat3257]

I as an American i feel victims should stop apologizing for being a victim.🤔The day will come when the victimizer will face his or her sins.

[@christinestangeland7771]

I also love professor Gates, he's the best of us.

[@eicrusade6161]

I'm still wondering about the person that called the police.

[@WVgirl1959]

It was Mr Gates neighbor they called the police thinking someone was breaking in but it makes me wonder if they didn't know him very well or didn't like him.

[@dennismay8066]

I am related related to president Obama from president Obama mother side of the family

[@AficionadoKO]

Right on brother!

[@rrickarr]

I have always wondered about the person who called the police in the first place and did not know who her neighbour was. What does she have to say for herself, or how does she feel that she (because it was a woman) caused all of this noise!!!!!

[@twilajohnson2313]

I had totally forgotten about that arrest.

[@garylincoln4898]

We must Never forget, that's what they count on in us as POC!

[@DUBLINMUG]

NO skip it actually is typical, and Crawley telling you that Bull that he's worried about going home is cuz they literally drill that into them to be scared of every black person and gaslighting you because once they saw it was your house it wasn't Cool because once you stepped on the porch they did what they wanted to do anyways cuz I'm sure there were photos of you you wifey kids but they just didn't want it to be yours even once they were proven that this was your address this is your house still had to show you who is boss

[@terrilane7958]

Yes, and for obama to give this guy lunch at the whitehouse, for criminal behavior horrible, and you know everyone in that community knows exactly who he is.

[@donaldwarriner1640]

At 68 yo so much of our collective past rings new to my mind. Beliefs and thoughts of the past are harder to pass off to an old man than a young one. So much has changed and still the dark, small ignorance and hatefulness of people all around us; within our own families and work. All I can think is with so much blessing we are spoiled and small and petty instead of grateful, kind and generous to people we have shared this country with since the beginning.

[@danielle38134]

Love Mr. Gates. He is such a good man and intelligent articulate man and a well spoken man. Peace ☮️ ✌️👍🏼🕊️

[@chaneltyler]

WHY WOULD THEY PICKET AT YOUR HOUSE? YOUR RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED! JESUS!

[@giffysstiffy8874giffytuck]

How were his rights violated?...and who does your f-cking make up

[@user-do6zs7qq3t]

I love listening to Dr.Gates jr

[@wap9137]

Which neighbor called it in? Dont they know who their neighbor is? They needed to be at the meeting, too, me thinks

[@Margaret-gx6jf]

I . . I didn' t know this arrest happened. Actually what happened? It was his house?

[@WVgirl1959]

Dr Gates smiled when the man said Professor Skip Gates, take one.

[@violetbennett2407]

He was just as white as he was black. I voted for him both times. I am white but I bored for him because he was mixed. A few weeks later I found out that I am related to him through his mother’s line. I think he was a good president. I would vote for him again if it was possible.

[@carlfrye1566]

Boston's Mayor/City Council/DA/etc has been Democrat since the 1930's. That means the police dep't was run by Democrats at the time of this incident. Like the 5 police shootings in 2020(Minneapolis, Louisville, Atlanta, Kenosha, and Philly) those cities/police were also Democrat run....however the mainstream(Democrat centric) media never pointed that out because they/Democrats wanted black folks to blame "racism"...which is their code word for conseevatives/Republicans. The police officer who showed racism in this incident was ok to be on the force in the eyes of the city leaders(Democrats). And you wonder why some things never change.......while you black folks vote Democrat the past 50 years?

[@shirleyashanti3031]

I voted for him to honor the hopes of my ancestors. He said he hoped nobody voted for him because he was black. I never considered another reason.

[@justmyopinion9883]

Dr Henry Louis Gates is an inspiring, magnificent man. Love watching his videos. Thank you for sharing. 😊❤️

[@user-wl8rr7wb4y]

"Today's news whether it's live or edited is the rough draft of history." Drew Mikkelsen of KING 5 news.

[@Ludianne24]

The sound doens't work! I can't hear anything, unfortunately... :(

[@anodyne57]

Monophonic. Check your computer or mobile's sound settings and slide the balance left and right until you get sound. It's def there and strong, but only on one side.

[@Ludianne24]

Thank you for your tip! I will try it!

[@Ludianne24]

Update: it worked, the sound, all of a sudden:D. Not by following your tip, but just by itself. But thanks anyway!

[@Anastasia63788]

I would have died of a massive heart attack

[@uyisbobbylevy4051]

Best of wishes to you Dr.Gates, try to read the magnificent books of Dr.Thomas Sowel.

[@lindag4029]

What about when a police run up on you putting handcuffs, using aggressive profanity laced, condescending language and not telling you what’s going on. How does the black community deal with that? Why is the burden always on us ?

[@mercedespierre9497]

Sui generis, 25:35 (erratum)

[@PostalWorker14]

What’s the big deal about showing ID?

[@sarahpauline4904]

give it some thought

[@PostalWorker14]

@@sarahpauline4904 Cops don’t know who you are You think they’re going to stalk you?

[@sarahpauline4904]

@@PostalWorker14 Why are you acting like you don't know that there is an epidemic of black people being asked for ID while being randomly minding their own business by regular people as well as having police called on them?

[@rrickarr]

For all the people who said that Obama did nothing for Black people, need to here about this incident with the President commenting on Bill Gate´s false arrest. A very important discussion.

[@user-td1fi6vu2t]

When I fill out forms that ask me for race I always put HUMAN. All people have opinions about EVERYTHING and anything. If you are bald,blonde, short, tall. You name it, it is OK . I like liver and onions you don't have to. You just can't shoot or punch people because they do.

[@Anastasia63788]

I’m terrified of the police and I’m a very good person

[@Shermansgreat3257]

Never make any man on this earth appear or seem more powerful than God. God is the creator and everything and everyone to u if u allow.

[@jennifergallamore8772]

Do Obama's geneology.

[@chaneltyler]

🐽

[@giffysstiffy8874giffytuck]

Yes you are a 🐽