I got this email forward and found it quite interesting. I will address my thoughts under the article below.
JUSTICE FOR THE “JENA 6” – TAKE ACTION NOW!!!
(please forward!!)
THE FACTS:
In a small highly segregated rural Louisiana town of Jena in September 2006, a black student asked 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.”
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!!!
SPREAD THE WORD!
If you have any questions, call Angela Ciccolo or Stefanie Brown at the National Headquarters at (410) 580-5777.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS IMPORTANT MATTER!!!
Stefanie L. Brown,
National Director
NAACP Youth & College Division
410.580.5658
410.764.6683 faxsbrown@naacpnet.org
www.naacp.orgNikki Jenkins, M.A.
City of Columbus Department of Public Utilities
910 Dublin Road
Columbus, OH 43215
614-645-1881
614-645-8019 fax“To enhance the quality of life now and into the future for people living, working and raising families in Central Ohio through economic, efficient and environmentally responsible stewardship of superior public utilities.”
- 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.
- Sign the Petition: http://www.naacp.org/get-involved/activism/petitions/jena-6/index.php
- Donate online to the:
- Jena 6 Defense Fund https://secure.colorofchange.org/jena_fund/
- OR mail donations to: Jena 6 Defense Committee,
P. O. Box 2798,
Jena, LA 71342- Donate to the NAACP: https://www.naacp.org/contribute/contribute.php
- Make a Phone Call:
- 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) 342-7099contact@la.govCharles 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- Send a letter to the Louisiana Governor and the Louisiana Attorney General:
http://www.naacp.org/pdfs/SampleJena6SupportLetter.pdf” (sample letter)- 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!
- 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?
First, I just want to state that I did verify this story with Snopes. There are some interesting facts that seem to missing from the above quote that Snopes did a nice job in digging up.
I also want to state that I am not a racist at all. If I don’t like you, you can rest assured that it has nothing to do with the color of your skin, where you are from, or what language you speak.
After reading this, I am kind of torn between how I should feel about this particular incident. The persons who hung this noose in the tree should have been (or should be) prosecuted as criminals who committed a hate crime. Hanging a (3) noose(s) from the tree is undeniably a hate crime. Unless they were all just good buddies, haha, you know… having some fun. No harm, no foul. But this obviously isn’t the case.
However, just because the white kids crime was not considered a crime, that still doesn’t give the black kids (or white kids!) the opportunity to commit a crime and not be punished for it. If the white kids were convicted of a hate crime, do you think this email still would have been circulated? I do.
And how do we really know what was going through those kids minds when they were stomping the other boy? Did they intend to kill him? They very well may have. That is only something that they know. Were the white kids trying to send a message that they were planning an attack on the others? They very well may have been doing just that.
Whatever their plans were, it really doesn’t matter anymore. This is where we are now. I have a feeling that a little town called Jenna in Louisiana is about to go through a major cultural change.