Talking About Race
The recent arrest of Henry Louis Gates Jr. has brought up strong feelings for many, whether they believe that Gates was a victim of racial profiling by Sgt. James Crowley who arrested Gates outside his own home for "loud and tumultuous behavior in a public space" according to the police report, or whether they believe Gates overreacted to Crowley's request for Identification. In her New York Times opinion article "A Lot Said, and Unsaid, About Race", Judith Warner writes that this incident, a mere "snippet of our culture's ongoing meta-narrative about race," was not just about an ID card and racial profiling, but also about identity, expectation, and respect. Our perceptions and reactions to situations are shaped by who we are, which, Warner writes, is in part "conditioned by our race." Rather than siding with Gates or Crowley, Warner suggests that we should listen to one another and try to understand one another's perspective.
- What makes talking about incidents like this and issues of race difficult? What gets in the way of a constructive dialogue? What needs to happen for the dialogue to be constructed?
- Warner says that this was not just about an ID card or racial profiling, but also about "identity and expectation and respect." How was this incident about expectation? How was it about respect? What might Gates' expectations have been? And Crowley's?
- Warner talks about scripts, claiming that "both men were, consciously or not, following scripts in their heads, stories of vulnerability and grievance much more meaningful than their actual exchange." What scripts might Gates and Crowley have been following? Can you think of other examples of scripts for different situations? What other types of situations might be scripted? What scripts have you followed or observed others following in your own life? Are there times when you were in a scripted situation, but did not follow the script?
- Warner says who we are is in part conditioned by our race. Do you agree? What else conditions who we are?
- Obama says America needs to move forward, "both blacks and whites need to listen to each other's narratives, and stop reflexively dismissing them either as paranoia or simple prejudice." How can people hear the same statement and interpret it two different ways? Have you ever said something that you meant to be taken one way, and was not taken as you intended? Why do you think this happens? Can this be prevented? If not, what are some ways of dealing with this issue?
