BOSTON , Massachusetts ( CNN ) -- In his first public appearance since the `` Beer Summit '' at the White House , Harvard University professor Henry Louis Gates joked about his controversial arrest last month in Cambridge , Massachusetts , and said he likes police Sgt . James Crowley . Sgt . James Crowley and professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. sit for beers with the president and vice president Thursday . `` I offered to get his kids into Harvard if he does n't arrest me anymore , '' Gates said . Gates was speaking Sunday at the Martha 's Vineyard Book Festival where he signed copies of his book , `` In Search of our Roots . '' The professor said he plans on meeting with Crowley again . `` I offered for the two of us to have lunch together , one-on-one , or go to a Red Sox game , or a Celtics games , or maybe the families can get together for dinner . Why not ? '' Gates had a face-to-face meeting and a beer with Crowley at the White House last week , a move orchestrated by President Obama in an attempt to defuse racial tensions that had erupted following Gates ' arrest . Gates called the president 's gesture `` brilliant . '' Crowley arrested Gates on July 16 when the officer responded to a call of a possible home break-in at the Cambridge residence . Gates was charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly yelling at the officer and protesting his actions . But Gates , who is black , claimed he never raised his voice and accused Crowley of racial profiling . Charges against the professor were later dropped . The tone at the book fair turned more serious when someone asked Gates how the arrest has affected him . `` I 'm still trying to figure that out and processing it . It was stressful . I was worried about my daughters . '' Fortunately , he said , the press was not camped out at his family home like they were at the Cambridge residence , which is owned by the university . He admitted to receiving bomb threats and deaths threats and said the university is encouraging him to move . `` I have n't been back to the Cambridge house since I got arrested so I have to make that decision . '' He also said he has had to change his phone numbers and close his public e-mail account . `` I received thousands of fan letters but some of the e-mails were from crazy wacko people who wrote 'You should die , ' 'You 're a racist , ' '' Still , Gates said he does n't want to exaggerate the trauma of the arrest . `` A lot of people go through far worse . I was in jail for four hours , not four years or four months or four days , '' he said . `` The night before I went to the White House , I had a dream that I got arrested in the White House , '' he said . Then he joked , `` But it 's cool ; I was OK . ''
Professor on officer who arrested him : We could lunch or go to a Sox game . The lighthearted comments came after Gates and officer met at White House . May 16, 2013 02:09 pm at 2:10 pm