Quotes by Critics

No one thinks of Mexico and Peru as black. But Mexico and Peru together got 700,000 Africans in the slave trade. The coast of Acapulco was a black city in the 1870s. And the Veracruz Coast on the gulf of Mexico and the Costa Chica, south of Acapulco are traditional black lands. Henry Louis Gates

Together Black City Gulf No-One Trade Got Traditional South Mexico African Lands Peru Coast Slave Thinks

My father lived to be 97 and played bridge every day up to the end, so I've got a 50 percent chance of living a long life like him. Henry Louis Gates

Life Day Every Day Father Long Living Every Percent Long Life Like Him Got End Up Bridge Lived Played Chance

It turns out one of my ancestors fought in the Continental Army, so I was inducted into the Sons of the American Revolution. Henry Louis Gates

Army Revolution Ancestors Out Sons Continental American Turns American Revolution Fought

Very few, if any, first-generation black or white or Asian kids will pursue a Ph.D. They'll pursue the professions for economic security. Many will go to law school and/or business school. Henry Louis Gates

So, Mexico, Brazil, they wanted their national culture to be 'blackish' - really brown, a beautiful brown blend. And finally, I discovered that in each of these societies the people at the bottom are the darkest skinned with the most African features. Henry Louis Gates

I believe in the law. I think we have a great system of justice. But I do think that system of justice has been corrupted by racism and classism. I think it's difficult for 'poor people' - poor white people, brown people - to be treated fairly before the law in the same way that upper-class people are. Henry Louis Gates

The Right insists that anyone can escape poverty by working hard but that is simply not the case. Henry Louis Gates

Poverty Case Insists Simply Escape Anyone Working Working Hard Hard Right

One must learn how to be black in America. Henry Louis Gates

Black Must Learn How America

It's fascinating how life works. Henry Louis Gates

Life How Fascinating Works

I think that the implication of King's assassination has not been fully appreciated. Henry Louis Gates

King Think Implication Been Assassination Fully Appreciated

My father and I made genetics history. We were the first African-Americans and the first father and son anywhere to have their genomes sequenced. Henry Louis Gates

History Son Father Made First Father And Son Genetics Were Anywhere

Remember, I have a Ph.D. in English literature. Henry Louis Gates

Remember Literature English English Literature

Because Lincoln is so closely identified with what it is to be American, everyone wants to claim him, to rewrite his story to satisfy their own particular needs. Henry Louis Gates

Needs Own Everyone Claim Particular Identified Him Because Lincoln His American Closely Rewrite Wants Story Satisfy

Patriotism is best exemplified through auto-critique. Henry Louis Gates

Best Patriotism Through

I'm a tech geek. Henry Louis Gates

Geek Tech

Suffering does not necessarily ennoble you. Henry Louis Gates

You Suffering Does Necessarily Ennoble

Keeping the Union together, freeing slaves and being assassinated all added up to creating 'Lincoln the myth.' He overcame a lot of his own prejudices and became what many would consider the first black man's president. Henry Louis Gates

Man Together Black Myth First Own Added President Consider Would He Freeing Overcame Became Lincoln His Lot Up Being Creating Prejudices Union Many Keeping Slaves

The Dominican Republic says 'We're black behind the ears.' And in Mexico, 'there's a black grandma in the closet.' They know, they've just been intermarrying for a long time. But if we did the DNA of everyone in Mexico a whole lot of people would have a whole lot of black in them. Henry Louis Gates

In America one drop of black ancestry makes you black. In Brazil, it's almost as if one drop of white ancestry makes you white. Henry Louis Gates

You Black Drop Brazil White Ancestry Almost Makes America

Let's face it - think of Africa, and the first images that come to mind are of war, poverty, famine and flies. How many of us really know anything at all about the truly great ancient African civilizations, which in their day, were just as splendid and glorious as any on the face of the earth? Henry Louis Gates

War Day Great Mind Face Poverty First Glorious Think Earth Ancient About Civilizations Splendid Come Know How Were Truly Any Just Africa Famine African Anything Which Us Really Flies Many Images

It's very lonely being a prominent black intellectual at an institution where you're the only prominent black intellectual. That was the model that was followed in the late 60s when black studies started. You'd get one here and one there and one here, like Johnny Appleseed. Henry Louis Gates

You Black Lonely Late Prominent Followed Only Johnny Studies Institution Like Intellectual Very Model Get Being Where Here Started