Ken Oliver

The Professor Gates story brings to mind the wise edict that was ingrained in me during my training to become a counselor. “Focus on the process, not the content.” It seems, however, that many of us are enthralled by the content, which may lead us to be oblivious to the underlying processes at work. Machiavelli would be smiling from ear to ear to see that even the highly educated (i.e., us counseling folk) could be so entertained by this story that we are caught focusing on which party was “wrong” rather than using this incident as an opportunity to focus on oppression both within our profession and in society in general.

I don’t mean to diminish the experiences of the individuals involved in this case. However, when I look at the story through an oppression paradigm I see Dr. Gates experience as an unfortunate reality faced by many individuals from oppressed groups. It is difficult to think about life with the realization that no matter what you do in life, no matter what you accomplish, no matter who you become, you will still be viewed by many in the dominant group (and minority group members who emulate dominant group beliefs) as being “less than”.

My hope is that the story of Dr. Gates’ arrest brings attention to racial profiling, if that is how we will ultimately define this case, as a symptom of oppression in general. By oppression, what I mean is the use of power associated with dominant group status to commit or benefit from acts of discrimination against members who hold minority group status within a particular identity. Therefore all of the different types of oppression (i.e., racism, sexism, heterosexism, ableism, classism, faithism, and so on) are simply variations of the same oppression theme, all possessing the ability to be equally dehumanizing. As most of us have one or more identifications as dominant social group members, the majority of us have the power to oppress on an individual level. The significance of this phenomenon is compounded even further as our individual acts of oppression are generally supported (i.e., as long as they are not too overt) by the dominant group and dominant group institutions and values. If we break down this definition, it is easy to see that Gates, in his black identity, could be oppressed while Crowley, in his white identity and his identity as a cop was in a position where he held the power to oppress.

As an example, I know that in my status as a male (dominant group) I am not typically judged by society by my tidiness, as evidenced by my office and car! My wife (minority group) is judged by these things by society at large. Therefore, if someone stops by our home, I typically won’t be looked down upon if my socks are scattered about. They will more likely to look at it as being her responsibility to keep a clean home. To not acknowledge the added pressure she feels only serves to add insult to injury and to further perpetuate sexism as a form of oppression. Yet, awareness of my privilege alone does not preclude me from being sexist. I receive tons of privileges from being a man in our society and, although I speak up quite frequently about oppression in its various forms, I still benefit from the inherent privileges of being a heterosexual male.

My self-disclosure is intended simply to illustrate that through our multiple identities, we may experience multiple oppressions, from both the experience as the oppressor and the oppressed. Dr. Gates hangs out with the President which, in terms of class, I would identify as dominant group status, but he’s still looked at as a caricature of the “all blacks steal” stereotype or the quintessential “angry black guy” by others.

This story, in my opinion, exemplifies the need for counselors and counselor educators alike to examine their own power in their professional relationships to assess if they are being oppressive to those they serve. Not just in their policies or codes of practice, but in how they engage and interact with those they serve. It is easy to slap a label of “resistant” or “difficult” on a client whom we have trouble engaging or to identify characteristics as “inappropriate” or “unprofessional” in students when they do not match our own worldviews. Instead, I look at the Gates story and ACA’s interest as an opportunity to move beyond the profession’s historical adherence to the status quo.

If the Gates story challenges us to think about our own power, our own privileges based on dominant group identities, then I think it has the potential to assist in the evolution of the counseling profession. If not, I’m afraid it too will be soon forgotten as the next entertaining story catches our eye!

Remember the case of the Houston Texans football player who stood outside the hospital pleading and arguing with the young white police officer while his mother-in-law took her last breaths because he ran through a stop light to get to the hospital before she died. Forgot about that one, didn’t you? There I go entertaining again!