Jena 6: the Breaking Story that Broke Almost a Year Ago
Critical Minded > Features > – Aug 23, 2007 – by Chad Elliot 
I want to sincerely apologize for the delay in this editorial regarding the controversial case rising out of Louisiana, known to most as “Jena 6.” As late as this report is, and should seem to most, the sad thing is that the majority of the world still has no clue what I’m talking about. If you asked your average person walking down the street about the case, they probably would assume “Jena 6” involved a crime involving a girl name Jena. Although that sounds like an attempted joke that wasn’t funny, the truth is a friend of mine actually said those exact words to me. However, I bet that nine out of ten people could tell you with the up most confidence that Michael Vick had accepted a plea agreement with the Fed’s. What are we really focused on America? Yet, before we can even attempt to answer that question, let’s make sure that we are all on the same page in regards to this case.
If You Don’t Know By Now
Last Fall, (August 31, 2006), a small group of black students in Jena, Louisiana, asked if they could sit under a tree on the “white side,” of their High School. After getting permission from the Vice Principal, the students sat out there with no trouble, however, the following day (Sept 1), three nooses were found hung from the tree. When the superintendent was notified, he dismissed the nooses as a “prank,” prompting more black students to sit under the tree in protest. This led to the District Attorney’s, Reed Walters, arrival to the school accompanied by the town’s police, which brought the protest to an end. The DA warned the black students that additional unrest would be treated as a criminal matter. Also, according to multiple witness, Walters asserted to the students, “I can make your lives disappear with a stroke of my pen.” The severity of this statement has been widely interpreted as a reference to the filing of charges carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison. On a side note, the Jena Times suggested that black parents were to blame for the unrest at the school because their September 5 gathering had attracted media attention.
Now although this is not mentioned, the Principal, Scott Windham, did recommend to the hearing committee that the three white boys responsible for hanging the nooses, should be expulsed, however, the committee opted to give the students a few days of in-school suspension. To no surprise, the following week a series of racially motivated violent acts proceeded.
A black student was assaulted by a white adult as he entered a predominantly white party. After being struck in the face without warning, the student was assaulted by white students with beer bottles and open fist, before the fight was broken up.* there is no evidence that anyone was charged
A white school graduate who had also been involved in the assault the previous night pulled a shotgun on three black students as the were leaving the town’s local convenience store. After a brief struggle for possession of the gun, the black students exited the store with the gun. *They were charged with aggravated battery and theft.
The Jena Times reported that several high school teachers begged school administrators to postpone the resumption of classes until the racial tension died down, however, this request was ignored and classes resumed.
A fight broke out between a white student and a black student, once the white student was knocked to the floor, allegedly several black students attacked him as he laid unconscious. Within an hour of the fight, six black students: Robert Bailey (17), Theo Shaw (17), Carwin Jones (18), Bryant Purvis (17), Mychal Bell (16) and an unidentified minor, were expelled from school, arrested and charged with second-degree attempted murder. The 1st trial ended last month and Mychal Bell, who has been in prison since December, was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, which are both felonies, by an all-white jury in a trial where his public defender called no witnesses. *During the trial, Mr. Bell’s parents were ordered not to speak to the media and the court prohibited protests from taking place near the courtroom or where the judge could see them. Theodore Shaw has also sat in jail since Dec, due to the lack of a $90,000 bond! Oh yeah, the white student was later arrested for having a rifle with 13 bullets in his truck in the school parking lot.
Reading over this case, it has an eerie feeling of the Jim Crow laws that haunted African Americans until the mid 1960‘s. The Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws enacted in the Southern and borders states of the U.S., they mandated “separate but equal” status for black people. However, in reality, this led to treatment and accommodations for blacks, that were almost always inferior to those provided to white people.
There are so many problems with this case, that I honestly do not know where to begin. First off, a red flag goes up for me when the black students ASKED PERMISSION to sit under a tree at their own school! That lets you know right now, that even prior to this incident, there was clearly racial tension at this school. Our “system of justice,” is ready to throw 22 years at these two young men over a school fight? This is ridiculous, now I’m not trying to dismiss the black students behavior, however, the 1st incident involving the white student that assaulted the black student at a party, only led to him being charged for simple battery, and yet, there is still no evidence that he has even been charged for that. And the other white person, who mind you, was not even enrolled in the school anymore, wasn’t charged for anything when he pulled out a shotgun on three black students at the convenience store! And to top it all off, bail has been set at $90,000! Come on $90,000, seriously, the trial has continuously been delayed already altering the future of these young men because the prosecutor said he coincidentally can‘t get all of his witnesses together. Carwin Jones, who at the time was a rising star athlete at the school had a number of college scholarships, which have since been withdrawn.
The question I originally posed was “what are we really focused on ?” A simple answer to this question is, obviously the wrong things. Is dog fighting wrong, of course, along with the way Britney Spears is raising her children, and the Flavor Flav roast. However, we are at a time where crimes are growing more deadly by the minute, from the recent Newark shootings to the Virginia Tech tragedy, violence in our society is becoming all too common, especially with our youth. The harsh penalties set for these young men are not only outrageous but even more so disturbing, however, what is also very troubling is the lack of media coverage this case is receiving.
Comments
17 Comments so far
Great, great article! Much needed… I too fall into the vast group of people who knew nothing about this and just happened to hear the story. One thing I have heard in addition to the story is that these boys need lots of financial help… so I would encourage Schemers to pass on the word and find out what we can do stop the madness. Crazy!
I’m pissed just thinking about this, I read so many comments from people of that other persuasion defending the white students in this act. Saying that the black men charged were all “trouble maker,” wrong is wrong, and to take a “child’s” innocence away and put him away for 20 something years is criminal in itself! one
WOW…Sad to say that this is the first time Ive heard of this and the sad thing about it is WHY!?..why is this not on my local news channel or CNN all day like when the little white girls go missing and when the Ramsey child was murdered?..which I feel is less relevant than this issue. This makes me really upset and ready to grab an army of people to go down to LOUSIANA!..but its like what can you do?…Its like the authority down there has the upper hand and can do what they feel. Im speechless but ready to get ACTIVE. Why is it that I feel the only way we, as a race, can overcome this dilemna is if we start getting into congress and the government??…I mean seriously..Where are we??..Where does are voice really stand in making decisions?
We can’t rely on THEIR news nor THEIR media coverage!! We have to take some ownership within our own communities and have a voice. Thanks for the info SCHEME!!
It has been stated that intergration can be defined as “An illusion of inclusion ” as you state in your article to have to ask permission to sit under a tree at their own school is ludicrous and confirms the definition. The reason their is no coverage of this gross injustice is because the white persuasion refuse to have a dialouge concerning racism and would rather live in denial and continue to live in obscurity concerning the blatant disregard for Black people as human! The sad part of this is that as long as we perceive ourselves as the problem and not the solution our plight will never change!
It is unbelievable how slanted and biased your reporting is. Was that white young man involved in any of the alleged anti-black transgressions going on in Jena? You report that a fight occured initially between a black young man and this white individual, and yet I’ve read reports that this was an attack that involved numerous blacks against one white. The white youths who hung those nooses on that tree surely engaged in a reprehensible act and should have been more severely dealt with than they were, but what did that young white man who was beaten have to do with that? This young man was kicked unconscious by several young black men and yet all I hear about is that a “fight” occured, not an attack. I don’t know if the DA in Jena is handling this case with complete fairness; if he isn’t then he should held to account, just as the group of young black men who kicked a young man into unconsciousness should. This case whould be judged on the specifics of what happened, not any recent historical context in Jena. If these young blacks chose to vent racial animosity on a young white man who did nothing to them, let the punishment fit the crime.
Thank you for making me aware of the plight of these young men, I have never heard the media speak of this incident. You can be assured that I will spread the word to everyone I can and see if we can get the media involved. By bringing this up front and to the light and keeping it there,I believe we can get a change. Good article, keep up the writing. Thank you Scheme
Greetings,
Wow, this was probably one of the biggest moments since embarking upon this Black male violence endeavor earlier in the year. So much is going on with the Jena “6″–from Internet forums to Black media outlets–that I had to make my way to Jena, Louisiana and find out the deal. I was amazed to see/hear Jena stories up close and personal without relying on someone else’s version! I could go into it, but I’ll let the video tell the story. I had to whittle down hours of footage into ten minutes.
The interviews are going to make one great feature story. For example, do you know that this was not the first time a student was knocked unconscious by another student at Jena High School? Also, at the same Jena Fair Barn where the white adult assaulted the young Black student (one of the Jena “6″), two white males beat a Black man to death less than three decades ago. Also in recent times, a young Black male was killed by whites and his genitals were “stuffed” in his mouth. Yes, I found many more stories like these while visiting Jena. I even got the word on the local district attorney and judge involved in the Jena “6″ case. Jena, in my estimation, is a walking time bomb.
I’ll let the video take it at this point. Here it is at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5y8HNjOyS7c. I always welcome your feedback and emails. Feel free to pass along this video to others. And if you missed the Hurricane Katrina 2-year anniversary video, capturing New Orleans at 6-month intervals, please view it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVfSgE78bs. Spread the word on the September 20th sentencing date in Jena, Louisiana. Justice must be served. Take care and talk soon.
Peace and Good Health,
Mike
Hanging nooses from a tree is a death threat, in my opinion. What does a noose symbolize? To me it seems the non-black boys were let off way to easy.It seems to me the non-blk kids thought they were above those blk students, and can do whatever they want with no consequences, and then have the law on their side. Those young black kids knew they couldn’t turn to the law, because evidently the law is not on their side.
In response to the previous comments (above) from a Mr. Larry Liguori. To make such a bold statement as the article being “slanted and biased,” you obviously did not read or you are clearly lost with your facts!
Let’s break it down: You stated, “Was that white young man involved in any of the alleged anti-black transgressions going on in Jena?” On Monday, December 4, at Jena High, a white student – who allegedly had been making racial taunts, including calling African American students “niggers” while supporting the students who hung the nooses and who beat up the black student at the off-campus party – was knocked down, punched and kicked by black students. Not only did the article mention that the white student was attacked by numerous black students, but it also states that he was knocked unconscious. However, it was found that he was healthy enough to go home without spending the night in the hospital. As the author states, he is not dismissing the black students behavior, wrong is wrong. But for you to suggest that “let the punishment fit the crime,” when these young men initially were faced with life sentences is insane. And for the record you cannot take these situations as an isolated event, you sound as bad as the principal in this case. Next time read before you make these aimless accusations. Dummy!!
I was aware and have been following the Jena6. However, I am glad you younger folks are beginning to follow what is happening in the world around you. It is important to read the back page in the small corners as well as the obvious. It is also important to change channel sometimes to something you don’t ordinarily watch. Take a look at the opposition and find out how they truly thhink. Read larger newspaper circulations and you may find there are many things you will want to write about. Keep up the good work. Love seeing the interest.
This is in response to Mr. Larry Liguori post above. First let me start of by saying that you are correct the white student (Justin Barker) assaulted by the “Jena Six” alledgedly was not involved in the prior incidents in Jena. Allegedly, he was attacked because he was bragging how Robert Bailey was beaten up at the party which led to his subsequent attack.
Secondly, you are also correct in stating that the “Jena Six” should be tried FAIRLY based upon their actions. However, that is where you statement loses strengh. The tragedy in Jena does not arise solely from the incident at the school with six black youths. It arises from the fact that after pleas and warnings from the students, the LaSalle Parish School Board was naive and acted negligently in handling the situation. Their negligence amplified the racial tensions among the community and led to the assault. I am not excusing the actions of the “Jena Six” and they should be held accountable for their actions. But to dismiss the “recent historical context” as you put it would be acting just as naive and negligent as the LaSalle School Board. Furthermore, the trial of Mychal Bell was a joke and made a mockery of the legal system. The District Attorney’s arguments were frivolous to say the least. He justified the charge of “aggravated battery” which requires the use of a “deadly weapon” by saying the use of a tennis shoes satisfied that requirement, which the all white jury agreed.
The purpose of Mr. Quinn’s article was to shed light on this situation which I feel that he has successfully done looking at the responses that this article has received. Hopefully, I have been able to explain to you that the outrage from this incident stems from the lack of fairness shown by the District as well as the negligence exhibited by the School Board and to not take the totality of the situation into account when trying these young men will be the greatest injustice of all.
For the sake of argument, let’s look at this situation with “blinders on” (i.e. remove the color from all parties involved):
The crime(s)
A group of students attack another student after being harasses at school (the harassment being the demonstration of symbols which represent years and years of anti-sentiment against their particular group). The attacked student, who happened to be in support of the negative demonstration against the attackers, suffers injuries that are concerning, but do not lead to serious injury requiring hospital admission.
The judgment(s?):
The attackers are facing severe long-term jail sentences–the term “attempted murder” has even been applied to their act of violence.
The demonstrators, as well as the attackee who supported them—a few days of in-school punishment
Questions for thought:
1) Have you ever gotten into a fight in high-school? If so, did you start it or finish it? What was your punishment
2) Have you ever experienced harassment/discrimination solely because of your etnicity, gender, style of dress, or personal beliefs? How did that make you feel? Did you get over it immediately, or did it linger in your spirit? What if this negative sentiment happened on multiple occasions–does it deepen the pain, like a chronic wound that will not heal?
A Challenge:
I challenge anyone who reads these comments to first reflect deeply on their own personal experiences, then answer each question one by one, and come up with your own verdict in this case.
A TEENAGE BOY FACING 20+ YEARS IN PRISON FOR A HIGH SCHOOL FIGHT…
The first time I heard about the “Jena 6″ was on KISS-FM radio in NYC. I consume quite a bit of the mainstream news and this story is not even on the last page of most outlets.
The media outlets are more concerned about a missing girl in Portugal and Britney Spears.
When Barrack Obama speaks out about the case, he gets 1/10 coverage compared to his visit to Iowa. Then again I just checked his Presidential website and could not find a single reference to the “Jena 6″.
We need to find ways we can support this cause to apply more pressure. If it’s a $5 donation to help with their lawyer fees or a petition, if anyone finds these avenues, please post. A trial in Jena, which is a predominately white city will probably have harsh outcomes against these boys unless they have good representation.
Hey Fellow Readers!
Check out the this website in support of the Jena 6. You will a find an electronic petition that you can add your signature to that will be sent to Governor Blanco and DA Reed Walters. You can also make a financial contribution to the Jena 6 Defense Fund.
We gotta be proactive ya’ll…..They need our help!
Oops!
The website is http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/.
It is very unfortunate that in this day and age, racism and discrimination still exist. What is even more disturbing is that most of society is unaware of “Jena 6” story. Why is that? Is the media minimizing the seriousness of this situation, where six African-American students are receiving unjust treatment…yet capitalizing on a situation where an African-American football star pleas guilty for mistreatment of dogs? Now this question is in no way a means to curtail Michael Vick’s state of affairs…but since when has the lives of animals become more important than the lives of humans? I in no way approve of the actions taken by the “Jena 6”; however, unless you have had to deal with racism first hand and have responded differently, than no one has the right to past judgment.
I myself have encountered racism first hand and could not say that if given the opportunity I would not react in the same manner as these 6 African-American students. To know that some of the African-American students had to “ask” permission to sit under a tree, that rightfully they should be allowed to sit without question, hurts me because all of the heartaches and pain that our ancestors had to encounter just so we could have the little bit of equality that we have today, almost seems in vain. What disgusts me even more is the unequal treatment in all of this. How can those who are primary leaders in Jena’s law system overlook the taunting and terrorist threats made by these Caucasian-Americans to the African-Americans and then turn around and within the same breath punish those 6 students for defending themselves and what they believed to be fair and just?
Then to turn around and have to hear in the news that a young African-American women was terrorized, threatened, abused (mentally, physically, and verbally), and raped by six Caucasian-Americans because of the color of her skin tells me that we as a society are moving no where fast, that same issues that impeded us as a race, still exist today, and that if we don’t pull together as a race (the same way they did many years ago), we will continue to suffer inequality and racism. Someone above said it the best, we can’t expect the media who was made for Caucasians to focus on us (unless of course it’s negative). We have to make sure that we take a stand for ourselves and pass this story as well as other stories of this type around. The punishment that these young men received is, by no means, just and should receive public notice. I hate to turn this into a racial thing, but there’s no other way to look at it. For those of us who haven’t already, please pass this story along to others (no matter what the race) because these young men need all of the support that they can get.