Have you heard of the Jena 6

theres been a ton of publicity on this lately, i guess it came after lindsay lohan...it happened awhile ago though so dunno what took so long
 
SUPPORT THE JENA 6

permission from school administrators to sit under the shade of a tree commonly reserved for the enjoyment of white students. School officials advised the black students to sit wherever they wanted and they did. The next day, three nooses, in the school colors, were hanging from the same tree. The Jena high school principal found that three white students were responsible and recommended expulsion. The white superintendent of schools

over-ruled the principal and gave the students a three day suspension,

saying that the nooses were "a youthful stunt." Black students decided

to resist and organized a sit-in under the

tree to protest the lenient treatment given to the noose-hanging white

students. Racial tensions remained elevated throughout the fall. On

Monday, December 4 2006, a white student who allegedly had been

racially taunting black students in support of the students who hung

the nooses got into a fight with black students. Allegedly, the white

student was taken to the hospital treated, released, reportedly attended a social function later that evening.

As a result of this incident, six black Jena students were arrested and charged with attempted second degree murder. All six were expelled from school. The six charged

were: 17-year-old Robert Bailey Junior whose bail was set at $138,000;

17-year-old Theo Shaw - bail $130,000; 18-year-old Carwin Jones--bail

$100,000; 17-year-old Bryant

Purvis--bail $70,000; 16 year old Mychal Bell, a sophomore in high

school who was charged as an adult and for whom bail was set at

$90,000; and a still unidentified minor. On

the morning of the trial, the District Attorney reduced the charges

from attempted second degree murder to second degree aggravated battery

and conspiracy. Aggravated battery in Louisiana law demands the attack

be with a dangerous weapon.

The prosecutor was allowed to argue to the jury that the tennis shoes

worn by Bell could be considered a dangerous weapon.

When

the pool of potential jurors was summoned, fifty people appeared, all

white. The jury deliberated for less than three hours and found Mychal

Bell guilty on the maximum possible charges of aggravated second degree battery and conspiracy. He faces up to a maximum of 22 years in prison. The rest of the Jena 6 await similar trials. Theodore Shaw is due to go on trial shortly. Mychal Bell is scheduled to be sentenced September 20th If he gets the maximum sentence he will not be out of prison until he is nearly 40.

THE MESSAGE:

As Chairman Julian Bond stated, "This is an American outrage that demonstrates the continuing shame of racial division in our country. Join us in making it one of the last."

In light of the circumstances surrounding Mychal Bell's case, we urge all concerned citizens to support the call for a new trial.

It

is unacceptable to selectively enforce the law based on race.

Prosecutorial discretion should be used in a fair and equitable manner.

The Jena Six should be tried by juries that reflect the racial and ethnic demographics of Jena, Louisiana.

The hanging of nooses is not a "youthful stunt" or "prank." It is a hate crime. Such hate crimes should not be tolerated at any school. Jena High School must establish a curriculum which promotes cultural sensitivity and understanding.

The

NAACP calls on Louisiana Governor Kathleen B. Blanco and Louisiana

Attorney General Charles C. Foti to thoroughly investigate and monitor

the trials of Mychal Bell, Robert Bailey, Jr., Theo Shaw, Carwin Jones,

Bryant Purvis and John Doe. The Governor and State Attorney General

should do everything in their power to ensure that these young men's

constitutional rights are protected.

THE UPDATE:

The NAACP, along with a number of organizations, has been working with the lawyers of the Jena 6 daily to arrange

for new trials. We're also reviewing additional steps we can take to

more fully address the structural racism issues the students may face

in the schools. In addition, there is a possibility that a national mobilization will take place within the next few weeks, but we'll let you know more info as it becomes available.

THE ACTION WE NEED YOU TO TAKE NOW!!!

Ø Sign the Petition:

o http://www.naacp.org/get-involved/activism/petitions/jena-6/index.php

Ø Donate online to the:

o Jena 6 Defense Fund https://secure.colorofchange.org/jena_fund/

o OR mail donations to: Jena 6 Defense Committee, P. O. Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342

Ø Donate to the NAACP:

o https://www.naacp.org/contribute/contribute.php

Ø Make a Phone Call:

o Below please find contact information for the Louisiana Governor and the Louisiana State Attorney General.

The Honorable Kathleen Babineaux Blanco

Governor of the Great State of Louisiana

Office of the Governor

Attn: Constituent Services

P.O. Box 94004

Baton Rouge, LA 70804-90004

Phone: (225) 342-0991

Fax: (225) 342-7099

contact@la.gov

Charles C. Foti, Jr., Attorney General

1885 North 3rd Street

P.O. Box 94005

Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Phone: (225) 326-6705

Fax: (225) 342-8703

Executive@ag.state.la.us

Ø Send a letter to the Louisiana Governor and the Louisiana Attorney General:

o http://www.naacp.org/pdfs/SampleJena6SupportLetter.pdf (sample letter)

Ø SPREAD THE WORD!

o Too many people don't even know about the Jena 6 tragedy. Not to mention the fact that events such as this are occurring daily!

o Host an event, forum, town hall meeting, pass out flyers, whatever.just make sure that the people in your community and on your campus understand that racism and injustice is ALIVE. If we don't fight for the Jena 6 and fight to end racism in this country who will?

If you have any questions, call Angela Ciccolo or Stefanie Brown at the National Headquarters at (410) 580-5777.

The

whole thing from the white only tree, to the nooses, to the attempted

murder charges, to the all white jury just reeks of racial injustice.

http://wakeyourdaughterup.blogspot.com/

 
Here's my question.

Why do you all think the Jena 6 should be let go? They still beat someone up. They still broke the law. Yes, the white kids committed racial crimes against them. But that doesn't give you the right to kick the shit out of someone. I think a clear solution would be to charge the whites for their crimes and charge the blacks for theirs. End of story. Everyone gets what they deserved.
 
Back
Top