UPDATE (7/28/09): Two years later, here is the results of the Jena Six trial. Mostly a victory.
I mentioned the Jena Six when they first appeared in the news and that post has had more hits this summer then any other. A lot of people are interested in what’s going on, and I felt the need to update you, by way mostly of quotes from other blogs and news outlets. First, if you know nothing about the Jena Six, this short news clip should catch you up.
Watch Part Two here.Here’s the most recent news, via While Seated:
Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena Six to face trial, was found guilty of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same on June 28th. A comprehensive look at the case, the trial and the verdict was published on July 2nd at friendsofjustice. Plus, Democracy Now did a full story.
Jack and Jill Politics also gave a comprehensive look at the situation, including interviews with the parents of the victim in the case.
There are a lot of ways to get involved. The Daily Kos has a list of representatives to call and the link below has multiple Actions for you to partake in.
i believe that what happened down in jena louisana was cruel and in humain towards men and women of color and justice is best serverd cold in my opinion. but it is nice to find a website that is taking a stand cause if not us then who if not now then when.
i believe that what happened in jena louisana was cruel and in humain to black men an dblack women . it is nice to see a site were there are others taking a stand not just blacks but all races , hopefully justice will be served and it is best served cold. because if nothing done now then when if no one stand up for what is right then who will. those people ar ewrong for the bull shit that young boy had dreams and was going to school he had a future but due to this racsim he will never be a football player he has a record now and something should be done!!!!!!!
I can’t believe the racism….. as a kid I travelled south on buses and noted “Colored” washrooms, restaurants and other.
After viewing this in the 50’s & 60’s it’s hard to comprehend in 2007 its “Colored” only to blame for the Jena Incident.
I will never again visit your state… been there twice but never again. As a Canadian citizen the white population should be ashamed to blame other races for the trouble without FULLY accepting and investigating…. Remember the movie… “In The Heat Of The Night”….. i do and you are still living back then…..
The Jena 6 are young school students and should have never been arrested. The white children should have never had the privilege of having a so called white tree. Someome needs to have all of the false charges dropped; cut down the trees; release the kids from jail and let them go back to school and move on with their lives. I can’t believe the prejudiced school superintendent actually overruled anyone. Things of this nature should never happen. The adults behind this mess need to grow up and pray for the good Lord to straighten out their hearts, minds and souls. They need to change their ways and way of thinking. We are all children of God and every tree in this world belongs to the Lord and his father; not to white people, the school board or the principal.
Born in Jena related to a couple of the jena six.It is ashame that in 2007 we still have the issue of equality that we have. We were all created equal in the eyes of GOD dispite what society mite want you to believe. Before anybody should treat another person as being less than they are, they mite want to get some history about their own ethnic background. You may be surprised to find that you just mite be related to one that you call yourself hating so much. MY family there is Walker, Bouie, Simmons, Welch,and others whom are of different races BUT I AM 1st A CHILD OF GOD!!!!!
What has happened in Jena should not have happened in the first place. It is very dumb for the School Superintendent to think Whites have a right to a tree. All of the earth belongs to our God. These children should not have been arrested at all. The student that was beaten should not had coming out of his mouth, that came out. It seems to me that the Whites in Jena are all stupid, ignorant and just plain dumb. Whites did not plant tbat tree and helped it to grow exclusively for them. These children need to be released so they can get back to their studies. It seems the Whites really need to stand back and look at themselves and CHANGE. They are not deserving to be called anything but stupid and dumb racists. I pray that the judge and hopefully a mixed jury, an all white jury was wrong in the first place, realize their wrong doings and let these children go so they can live out their lives in a peaceful and civilized world.
Black on Black crime, Blacks killing blacks, New Orleans Crime, Uganda atrocities, Haiti genocide, and other black murdering MUST take priority over some silly anti racism problem. 6 blacks go to jail for beating a white boy. But thousands of blacks are KILLED by blacks and no one says anything! This is WRONG!
I do not understand why you people are sympathetic to these kids. They beat up a kid(i am not saying he was right for the ropes in the tree) but the last time i checked we still had freedom of speech. I think all six of those kids should be brougt to justice!!! Just because these kids are black does NOT mean that they shouldn’t be held accountiable for there actions.
Should all people be treated equal under the law? YES. Then the white who pulled the gun should be charged according to the law. Was he? NO… Does the color of your skin make it right or wrong to commit a crime? No, so then let us be fair across the table then!!! Yes they should be punished for their actions but to what extent? If the tables were turned would people feel the same way? NO… Because it is okay to do that because that is the way it is down south,PlEASE that is just a cope out to say that is part of life just for a minute lets be real about this. This is not ok by any means but nobody should have to be subjected to verbal or physical abuse by anybody and the punishment should fit the crime. Ask yourself how would you react if this was to happen to you or your child!!!!!!!!!!!!!
i cant beleve the racism in this country! GIVE THEM LIFE
We all put our pants on the same way , we all have the same blood , this is crazy !! Everyone should be treated equally no matter what !! Jesus Loves everyone no matter what color they all ! ! There is a reason why GOD made people different colors and if you have a problem with that ! ! Then good luck going against him ! ! !
To the person named “me” that has replied, you need to know what happened before you make yourself sound stupind like that. It wasn’t only the noose’s, and the tree, it was a series of things. the black kids beat up a white boy, and the white kids beat up a black boy, but justice wasnt served. the black kids were the only one’s brought to justice!
I think that this is realy good that people actually realy care, and at least try to do something about. Everyone should be treated equally, and inequality is not the answer. like “Elfonza Walker- Renfro” stated, what would you do if this happened to your child??
Hanging a noose in a tree is hardly on the same level as physically beating someone half to death.
It took six black boys to beat up one European American?
Thugs belong in jail and it is my sincere hope that all of these black scumbags serve time.
Why is it that blacks think justice is paramount except when one of their own is on trial? Anyone remember how blacks felt about justice when OJ Simpson murdered two European Americans?
Hyprocrites. Any reason to form a mob and get the chance to loot.
Why is it that some EUROPEAN people believe that it is okay for them to do whatever they want but when the same thing happens to them then it is wrong. Is not justice for all? Or is justice only if you are so called EUROPEAN (WHITE) also if you recall OJ was found not guilty by a jury of his peers. Lets keep it real some people in the south would like things to be as they were in slavery times well it is not going to happen those times are gone. This is 2007 not 1807 or whenever all people are equal under the law period race has no place in the laws of this country if you don’t like it here try somewhere esle!!!!!!!
THIS IS CRAZY I AM SPEAKING ON THIS ISSUE AGAIN BECAUSES !! SUBROCK IF U DONT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAID NICE THEN DONT SAY ANYTHING AT ALL ! I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS FREEDOM OF SPEAK!! BUT THIS IS A WEBSITE FOR JENA 6 NOT AGAINST THEY!! PLAIN AND SIMPLE IT NOT FAIR ON BOTH ENDS !!! THEY WERE BOTH WRONG FOR PUTTING THERE HANDS ON EACH OTHER !!!! SO YOU NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT !!! BUT I LOVE AND GOD LOVES YOU TOO !!
To anyone else like “SubRock,” it is best that you just keep your dumb two cents out of it, until you know the whole situation. like I said before, both the black and white kids were hurt… not just the “European” kids. but all I can do is love ya. God loves everyone; not just the Europeans, and everyone else deserves a fair case too!
The fact the there is a tree on public high school property that has been accepted by all adults in Jena to be a place where only white children meet is a disgrace- and should tell us all right there that these are attitudes of predujice, exclution and hatred. How must the black children in that community feel? Well it seems that some black youths finally did what no one else had done. They simply sat underneath a tree. The response to a non-violent, free-willed, harmless act was met with an incomprehensible act of noose hanging!! These children sat under a tree. Do we think that they should not have reacted even further after that? If so, then we truly believe black people are a subsurvient culture. Shame on us. Right now I’m ashamed I belong to a race that has an “holier then thou attitude”. I hope God is looking down on us and blesses us because on our own we are a disgrace.