Beer Summit
The “Beer Summit” at the White House was a result of a routine police call with a Harvard University professor, Henry Louis Gates Jr, in the city of Cambridge that hit the national media coverage which resulted in a controversy. In the Navigation Patterns video How I Process Events, I break down the Beer Summit from my perspective and how one processes events.
The Event
It all began near Harvard University when a professor came home from a trip to find himself locked out of his house. With the help of his driver, he tried to get inside by forcing the door open. It wasn’t long before a passerby, seeing what looked like a possible break-in, called 911.
The Cambridge Police sent two officers to check things out—one white and one Black. Interestingly, one of them was the department’s lead trainer on racial sensitivity, though that fact didn’t make headlines right away. When the police arrived and asked for proof of residency, there was a confrontation between the offices and the professor.
Cambridge’s Demographic
Unlike most of Massachusetts, where the Black population represents about 6%, Cambridge represented a diverse demographic. The city had long-established protocols for racial sensitivity training in law enforcement, reflecting its progressive stance on social issues.
However, several key issues emerged as the story progressed. The property in question had been burglarized three months prior. The residence was Harvard University property, not privately owned. The Cambridge Police Department had specific training programs for handling racial sensitivity issues.
National Headlines
The incident rapidly escalated from local news to national headlines, particularly after then-President Obama commented on the situation.
The whole situation led to something people now call the “Beer Summit.” President Obama invited Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr and police officer James Crowley to the White House to have a discussion and try to make peace while sharing a beer. It was his way of calming down a big national argument. However, some people still questioned if the president should have gotten involved in something that started as a local police issue.
Watch “How I Process Events” on the Navigating Patterns channel for additional input.
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