Dr. Louis Gates Jr. Donates Handcuffs Used on him During His Arrest to the Smithsonian's New Black History Museum

Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. donates handcuffs to the Smithsonian's new black history museum.

Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. said he has donated the handcuffs used on him during his arrest last year outside his Cambridge home to the Smithsonian Institute's new National Museum of African American History and Culture. Er, Dr. Gates, newsflash. The handcuffs are worth nothing. They aren't symbolic of anything remotely important where American history is concerned. He is deluded into thinking otherwise. Gates' revelation was disclosed in Sunday's edition of The New York Times Magazine.

You will recall that Gates was arrested last July by Cambridge, Ma., police investigating a possible break-in at his home. The fallout from that arrest sparked national debate over racial profiling and even President Obama gave his two cents. The charge against Professor Gates was dropped and he reconciled with Sgt. James Crowley, the arresting officer, over beer at the White House.

According to the NY Times, he met with Sgt. Crowley several months ago at a cafe and the officer gave him the handcuffs. Personally, giving his handcuffs to the Smithsonian museum just doesn't evoke the same emotions for me as, for example, the handcuffs used on Rosa Parks.