I truly could NOT believe what I was reading! I would have never thought that in the year 2007 I could log onto the internet and find a story about threat by lynching. That’s exactly what happened approximately one year ago in Jena, Louisiana. The story is now receiving national attention because one of the youths, 17 year old Mychal Bell, a talented athlete, who was set to receive a scholarship, was found guilty of attempted second-degree murder, which I’ve read has been reduced to aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery, and carries a sentence of 15+ years.
The original incident occurred in September 2006 and Mychal Bell has been in jail since December 2006. The date for his sentencing is scheduled for September 20, 2007. I’ve spent a good portion of my morning reading up on events to date so here is just a recap, if you’ve missed this story:There is, or shall I say, there was, a big shade tree in the courtyard of Jena High School where white students would hang out during lunch. The students at the school are self-segregated in that blacks stay with blacks and whites with whites. I guess it was one of those “unspoken things” that the tree was only for the white students. 
Six black students, who have since been named “The Jena Six” were arrested and charged with aggravated assault. Louisiana District Attorney Reed Walters increased the charges to attempted second-degree murder. Other incidents occurred, but I will allow you to read those for yourself through links listed.The Jena 6 are: Mychel Bell, Carwin Jones, Theo Shaw, Robert Bailey, Jr., Bryant Purvis and one unidentified minor.Color of Change dot org has more information, as well as LINKS about this story and what you can do to help these families. Please take a minute to check it out. This could be your son or daughter on trial.We really need serious dialogue about race relations in this country. I’ve written my own letter to the Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco. I’m reserving my personal comments for later, as I really need to gather my thoughts but you can expect them shortly on this Blog. Here is the link to Color of Change
http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/message.htmlSomeone needs to call Spike Lee! I really really want your comments. Let’s not brush this under the rug like Don Imus.
September 7, 2007...7:53 am
RACISM AND THE JENA 6
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14 Comments
September 8, 2007 at 10:34 pm
This is really a shame. However, it serves as a reminder and wake-up call that racism is still very much a problem in this country.
I agree with Mr. Anderson’s post that as long as the attitude of a racist doesn’t turn into an “act”, it doesn’t impede my access to things I need to live in this world.
On the other hand, I have to remember that historically, people laid down their lives for me, so that I can have the privileges that I do today! As a black woman, I experience some form of racism, sexism, elitism or discrimination EVERYDAY, especially working in the field of law enforcement. Therefore, I have become accustom to educating and re-educating idiots EVERYDAY! I no longer get angry because that only harms me and my health.
Get this….I have a neighbor who I believe is a covert racist. Old habits die hard. I have a white dog and a black dog. Sometimes I have to use my backyard kennel to separate the two because they fight. Well he approaches my sister and because he feels so insecure about just saying good morning and getting on about his business (socially inept), and remember this guy is a “practical joker t ype”; says to her “hey, what’s up with keeping the black dog caged and letting the white dog stay in the house? I’m going to call the NAACP, CODE ENFORCEMENT and ANIMAL CONTROL!!” as he continues to his car in hearty laughter. If it had been a different time and place, perhaps he would have gotten his ass kicked for something like that, but today, we deal with things differently.
Of course she didn’t take too well to the joke and the most important thing is that she now knows “the deal” on who this man really is underneath all that neighborly friendliness.
This goes to show that people have to always be conscious, aware and most of all observant of who they are dealing with. This goes for all races and ethnicities. As you know, there is such a mixture of races now that its not about COLOR, its about upbringing and learned behavior.
There are alot of people who see themselves as white or black, who society doesn’t see them that way. Its in the upbringing and learning.
September 10, 2007 at 3:09 am
The district attorney, Reed Walters has violated the rules of court in Louisiana in this matter.
• The Louisiana Rules of Professional Conduct 3.6(a) state that: “A lawyer who is participating or has participated in the investigation or litigation of a matter shall not make an extrajudicial statement that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know will be disseminated by means of public communication and will have a substantial likelihood of materially prejudicing an adjudicative proceeding in the matter.”
He has appeared before the school board and threatened students and parents with prosecution.
• On December 13, 2006, District Attorney, Reed Walters published a statement in The Jena Times in which the young men arrested in the school fight incident were characterized as criminals who had been terrorizing both the school and the community. The sloppy wording of the statement and an introduction associating the tirade with the “recent two incidents at Jena High School” created the impression that those accused of involvement in the fight were also suspected of settling the school fire.
Although the assaults (by whites) on black students and those (by blacks) on white students are mirror images of each other, Reed Walters has only prosecuted the black students. This includes a case where a white adult in an unprovoked attack struck a minor student, who was then assaulted by accomplices with bottles.
To file a bar complaint against the district attorney, any interested party can obtain the necessary forms at:
http://www.ladb.org/filing_a_complaint.asp
Complaints can be filed by any person, not just a client of an attorney.
Complaints can be filed in one of two ways:
(1) By submitting a completed complaint form to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel.
You can obtain a complaint form in person at the offices of the Disciplinary Board or Disciplinary Counsel, or you can call 800-326-8022 to request that one be mailed to you. Complaint forms can also be downloaded and printed by clicking here.
Once you obtain a complaint form, please complete it in full and return it to the Office of the Disciplinary Counsel.
(2) By writing a letter to the Office of Disciplinary Counsel including your name, address and telephone number. Describe what the lawyer did or failed to do and include all important information, including attorney name, address, phone numbers and dates of events. If letters, agreements or other documents are available, submit them to the ODC.
If more information is needed, it will be requested. If you have difficulty in writing, a personal interview may be arranged after your written complaint is filed.
September 11, 2007 at 9:28 pm
So the tree has been chopped down! Wow! I guess that makes everything alright. The lack of comment by the Louisiana School Board is appalling to me. After all, shouldn’t this incident rest in their hands? Were they not responsible for setting the example in this situation? It’s the back woods mentality of this 85% white town that really gets to me. Each day I’ve followed the many blogs and comments from others. Most people, white and black, are outraged. We still have a few, mainly white, who are stuck in that “Why do Blacks always have to play the victim role?” My answer to that is: “BECAUSE SOME WHITES CONTINUE TO MAKE US VICTIMS!”
For the sake of argument here, let’s look at the word victim:
a person who suffers from a destructive or injurious action or agency
Yes – I think this situation falls under that category. You can’t continually treat me unfairly and then when I lash back, refer to me as having a victim mentality.
This incident in Jena has set civil rights back hundreds of years. Let’s face it, it’s always been an uphill battle. While civil right laws are in place to protect us, things have just gotten more sosphisticated. It’s similar to the antebellum period after freedom came, Black Codes were instituted. And its always the small back woods southern towns that have this ugly and racist mentality. I’ve read blogs from people who either live in Jena or have lived in Jena, with comments like, “It’s the kind of town Blacks only visit during the day.” “My mother won’t allow me to go to Jena at night.” That’s just a damn shame.
Myckel Bell’s situation is awful. This boy was supposed to graduate this past June and go on to college to play football under a scholarship. It saddens me to my core what is happening to all of these young boys.
If I were the parents, my suit would start with the Louisiana School Board. As educators they needed to take more responsibility.
September 20, 2007 at 9:01 am
I JUST WONTED TO SAY THAT I AGREE AND DISAGREE WITH WHATS GOING ON IN JENA. WHAT I CAN’T UNDERSTAND IS WHY EVERYBODY IS SAYING THAT THIS WAS JUST A SCHOOLYARD FIGHT. WHEN TO ME A SCHOOLYARD FIGHT DOES NOT INVOLVE 6 BOYS BEATING 1 BOY .WHEN THEY ARE BEATING HIM WHEN HE CANT EVEN TAKE UP FOR HIS SELF. YES I DO BELIEVE THAT THE 6 BOYS SHOULD BE CHARGED JUST NOT TO THAT MEASURE. ANOTHER THING THINK ABOUT IF THAT WAS YOUR CHILD THAT GOT BEAT ALMOST TO DEATH BY A GROUP OF BOY’S . HOW WOULD YOU FEEL. I AM JUST TO THE POINT WERE YOU KNOW THAT THEY ARE GOING TO DROP MOST OR ALL THE CHARGES SO GET OVER IT. AS YALL ALL KEEP SAYING “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
September 20, 2007 at 11:06 am
Civil rights leaders are marching in protest for 6 black kids who physically beat a white kid. They also protested for O.J.Simpson who killed a white woman. How about BET & NAACP is that not racist. The truth is that 6 black kids beat up a white kid and they need to be held accountable. They should also be charged with a hate crime for attacking a white kid.
September 21, 2007 at 10:34 pm
The picture of Justin Barker that I saw on the news seems to have been “doctored” to make it look worse. It is way too red. The picture on CNN is definitely different than the one on this site. (Look through the Timeline pictures at http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/21/jena.hearing/index.html)
Is this on purpose, or just an “accident” of digital technology?
September 25, 2007 at 8:34 pm
It was unfortunate this matter was not handled properly from the beginning. No one is saying that if a crime was commited it should go unpunished, but if Justin Barker is so innocent in all of this, why would they beat him up? If we are to believe the CNN investigation, his mother and aunt said he didn’t (or wouldn’t) taunt anyone. Bryant Purvis wasn’t even involved in the fight yet a student said that he kicked Justin Barker. (Video link attached) even after a teacher of Jena High School said he wasn’t involved in the altercation. If we use common sense in all of this, you’d realize for those boys to reportedly jump him, what did he do to provoke it? Justin Barker blew his ‘beat within an inch of his life’ theory when he was released from the hospital and attended a party that evening. If he was so injured why would his parents allow him to go out that evening? Seriously people, look at it for what it is. Truth is missing from this story. Whether the pictures were doctored or not, Justin Barker looked fine standing behind the DA Reed Walters at the press conference.
People keep yelling, “6 on 1″ – so we are to believe Justin Barker did nothing at all and these black males simply decided to beat the crap out of him for no reason. Doesn’t add up.
The crime should fit the punishment. Mychel Bell is being held “hostage” in a Louisiana jail because the DA has now made this case a personal one. What about Bryant Purvis? A teacher vouches for the fact he was not involved, yet his mother has now had to mortgage her home and hire an attorney to defend him. That’s not justice.
http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/us/2007/09/20/intv.jena.6.mom.cnn
September 26, 2007 at 12:11 am
Dear Samantha, I guess just like the TV series, “Bewitched”, you seem to be using the twitching of your nose to try to make the “truth” vanish away. Since your are so good at counting up to six, I want you to go to:
http://www.withoutsanctuary.org/main.html
http://atlanta.creativeloafing.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A2519
COUNT HOW MANY CRIMINALS YOU SEE AND ASK YOURSELF WHICH IS WORSE…A BLACK EYE OR A LIFE!
Donnie
October 6, 2007 at 1:32 pm
Mychal Bell says “Thank you” to his supporters
watch the video
http://nessapublishing.com/jenasix.htm
October 8, 2007 at 7:30 pm
“People keep yelling, “6 on 1″ – so we are to believe Justin Barker did nothing at all and these black males simply decided to beat the crap out of him for no reason. Doesn’t add up. ”
He did provoke them, but not as badly as everyone thinks. He did not call them the N word, he did not hit them. The Jena 6 had grudge on him.
Also, the same argument goes against the Jena Six. They were not model students, they were part of a small gang that terrorized both blacks and whites alike, and two have been convicted before.
October 12, 2007 at 10:25 am
From day one, I didn’t believe any of them were “model students” after all they are teenagers and they are human. I watched the Dr. Phil show both days and Justin Barker is not as innocent as his parents, or he, would have us believe.
Eventually it will all come out, unfortunately, as it is now a “juvenile court” matter, we may not find out, but I’m confident the media will leak it.
October 13, 2007 at 11:48 am
The Jena Six re-arrest of Mychal Bell
What’s Wrong with this Picture?
The only problem I have with the Mychal Bell situation is: What about the time he already served, which was almost 10 months? Mychal Bell was released from jail 7 days after the 9/20/07 march on Jena. When his hearing was held on 9/21/07 and bail was denied, didn’t they know he had violated probation at that time? Why not send him directly from the adult prison to the juvenile facility? Instead he was released, under house arrest, allowed to stay home for two weeks and now returned to jail. It sounds political to me. The small town of Jena was visibly upset about the march. To ease tensions they allow the release of Mychal Bell. Returning him to jail sends a strong message: “Stay out of our business in Jena, Louisiana.” Also, the parents have to pay for his time in jail as well as all court costs – what’s that about?
Don’t get it twisted: if you do a crime, you must do the time – but it wasn’t like it was a secret he had priors. What was the purpose of letting him out of jail? I’ll say it again – it was to ease the tensions in Jena, Louisiana. I’d go as far as to say they had the whole situaton planned. We’ll let him out on $45,000 bail with house arrest – but when he has his hearing on October 11th, we’ll re-arrest him on probation violations. Obviously those violations warrant 27 months in jail, as he’s already served 9 months.
Real smooth Judge M – real smooth….!!!!
Mychal Bell will be held at the:
Renaissance Home for Youths
P.O. Box 7997
Alexandria, LA 71306
If no appeal is granted he will not be released until April 2009.
October 15, 2007 at 1:21 pm
This was posted by someone who calls themselves FRIED OKRA on Tue Sep 18, 2007 in the Lafayette Newspaper public opinion section of the Daily Advertiser, who appears to have been a student at Jena High School. I’ve often wondered why more students were not speaking out about this incident. It’s worth reading…
I’m not even sure how to start this post, as I joined this site particularly to respond to this thread. I decided that it was time that there was a dose of the
facts.
Once upon a time, a school assembly was held to discuss dress codes at Jena High School. An assembly was held for the boys, and one for the girls, as the dress codes do have some differences. As a joke during the boys’ assembly, a black boy, who is known to always joke around, asked the principal, “Can we sit under the tree.” There are no boundaries as to where anyone can or cannot sit at the school. That tree was a twig when I went there. It grows right smack in the middle of the school square. Kids tend to congregate in areas with their friends. Some congregate under the tree, on the benches, around the “casket,” and other areas of the school. Blacks and whites are welcome at any one of those locales. People tend to congregate where they feel comfortable. That usually is where the majority of their friends are. However, there is nothing saying that they cannot go elsewhere. Same is the case here.
The square at Jena High School has been known for the center of school spirit and/or pranks for many years. I’ve seen everything from “funerals” of opponent football teams to the tree and surrounding area covered with toilet tissue. Jena High School is known for themed activities surrounding football games. This particular week, JHS was playing a team in which the mascot is Cowboys! Hence the nooses in the tree…”hang’em high!” Not for one moment did the thought of racism cross my mind or the majority of the others. It was football season. We were playing the cowboys. The kids, girls and boys, wore boots to school and had a western themed pep rally! Nooses = cowboys and horse thieves in my world. Maybe I’ve watched too much Gunsmoke, but racism was not even a thought. Due to the reaction of ADULTS in the black community, not the kids at the school, the boys were suspended. The entire punishment for those boys was never published because of the confidentiality of the issue. However, the boys were suspended. They and their families were required to go to counseling. The boys had hours of community service. The boys and their families continue to receive threatening phone calls, but yet no one has addressed that issue.
In the wee hours of a Thursday morning, arsonists set fire to Jena High School. The main building burned. Blacks and whites, alike, wiped tears as their Alma Mater was for the most part gone! Nothing has been proven to be related to the noose incident or any other racially motivated activities.
The weekend after the school burned, a private party was held in Jena. Invited guests were black and white. However, some uninvited guests showed up at the party and wanted to come in. A fight ensued between a white boy and a black boy. This fueled fights that took place over the weekend.
A white young man was leaving from a convenience store that is located on the outskirts of town. As he was leaving, black boys “jumped” him. He did have a gun in his truck, as do many of the males that hunt in this part of the world. When he went to get his gun, the black boys took the gun from him. Police were called. Black boys were arrested for stealing the gun and attacking him. He was not involved at the incident at the party, nor was he even at the party.
The following Monday, the kids returned to JHS, the first day after the fire. Emotions were still askew due to the fire. Everything that was “normal” was not “normal” any more. There was no intercom system. Classes were moved all over the remaining part of the school. It was chaos, but controlled for the most part.
The students stayed in the gym area during their lunch break. When the bell rang for them to head back to class, one of the “Jena six,” cornered a freshmen white boy in the lobby of the gym. He was trying to get the boy to fight him. The freshmen boy was clad in blue jeans and red wing boots, hence the typical “red neck.” Another black boy, the very SAME one that asked about sitting under the tree, pulled one of the “Jena six” away from the boy and told him that there would be none of that fighting there.
However, that wasn’t enough for same boy. As the students were returning to class, same “Jena Six” boy pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up over his head and pushed the victim down into a concrete wall. When the boy hit the concrete, he was knocked unconscious. It was at this time that five other boys joined in and continued to stomp and kick the boy as he lay unconscious on the ground. Guess what…the SAME boy that asked can we sit under the tree was doing everything that he could to pull them off of the victim. The color of his skin is also black! A friend of the victims managed to lay over the victim until teachers could get there to break the fight up. Remember, there was no intercom system, no way to call for help! The victim was unconscious when he the ambulance arrived. Hospital records will verify that. Thank God, he ended up not being hurt any worse than he was.
On same night of the incidence, the junior class had their ring ceremony at a local church since the auditorium of the school was burned. The victim was a junior and was able to attend the ceremony. His face was swollen and bruised, but yet he was able to walk up and get his ring. The audience applauded as his Mom placed the ring on his finger. One of the Jena six was also at this ring ceremony the same night.
So the question that many are asking is was he hurt badly enough for the “Jena Six” to be charged with attempted murder? I, for one, am not sure of exactly what the statutes or guidelines are for determining charges. However, the extent of one’s injuries does not have a thing to do with that. Think about it, one could shoot at someone and miss, and never harm a hair on their head. That’s just something to think about.
Oh by the way, since there’s already one thing to think about, here is yet another. Think about the “black” girl that was consoled by her “white” friends the day after the fight. She had to be consoled because some of the blacks, the color of her own skin, were threatening her, stating that she was the one that turned them in. Ask the media to find that girl and her Mom. There just may be a different twist on everything.
This is an unfortunate situation for everyone involved, the kids, their families, the school, and the community. The community has come together on more than one occasion with prayer meetings for unity and harmony in the community. There are consequences for behaviors. I hope that you will join with us in praying for consequences to be just.
The moral of this whole story is, do not believe everything that you here in the media. Remember, there is more than one side of the story. Unfortunately, the side that is most news worthy is the one that makes the news.
Please remember our community in your prayers.
October 19, 2007 at 4:06 pm
MORE NOOSES IN CALIFORNIA
This time there was a “noose” flyer that had a picture of Jesse Jackson & Al Sharpton hanging from nooses calling them nappy headed pimps with the words KKK scribed on the flyer. The flyers were found on cars and near the high school here in Palmdale, California. Are these copycat incidents? I can say this: it’s getting old. This is why we need federal intervention. Until the laws are changed, nothing will come of these incidents because there are too many loopholes in the system.