from the first moments of the incident that led to the arrest of henry louis gates. a woman who worked in the neighborhood was walking to lunch when another elderly woman approached and asked her to call 911. reporter: from the outset, the caller raises the idea that the men may not be robbers but pushing through their own front door. reporter: the caller, a woman named lucia whalen, wants to stay out of the spotlight, but today she had her lawyer tell reporters whalen was a concerned citizen, not a racist. it s really been very difficult because she s been characterized as kind of the racist spark that got the controversy going. and nothing could be further from the truth. now that the tapes are out, you can hear for yourself. reporter: that s true. in the call that sparked a heated national debate about racial profiling, whalen doesn t mention race at all until the 911 operator asks her for a description of the men breaking in. reporter: another tape released by t