After reading the Gates piece I admit having similar reactions to Cole's point of view. I felt like the text was elegantly written and expressive. However, it seemed to be excessive to a point where some of his original meaning can be diluted. Of what could be concluded it seems like Gates was trying to make the point that African-Americans are treated very differently than other races, especially Anglo-saxon, white. He compares the historical roles of white vs. black. "when scholar-critics were white men and when women and people of color were voiceless, faceless servants and laborers, pouring tea and filling brandy snifters in the boardrooms of old boys' clubs." With this quote in mind, he transitions to the roles of race in the modern world. He brings about questions such as equality in common areas of work. Do African-Americans have the same weight of meaning to their voice? Many would argue "not at all". It seams that after the readings that Gates is trying to bring about this measure. In the multi-dimensional tug-of-war that is global attention and awareness, what roles of race and equality play? This is a question that I feel the world is still trying to answer.
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