Last fall in Jena, Louisiana, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the “white tree” on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a “prank,” more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town’s police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, “I can be your best friend or your worst enemy… I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen.”
A series of white-on-black incidents of violence followed, and the DA did nothing. But when a white student was beaten up in a schoolyard fight, the DA responded by charging six black students with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
It’s a story that reads like one from the Jim Crow era, when judges, lawyers and all-white juries used the justice system to keep blacks in “their place.” But it’s happening today. The families of these young men are fighting back, but the story has gotten minimal press. Together, we can make sure their story is told and that the Governor of Louisiana intervenes and provides justice for the Jena 6.
This is disgusting. I’m tired and frustrated at the justice system. How can you sentence someone 22 years for school fight? This is unbelievable, and to think that Jena could get away with this injustice. This is the reason why America has so many enemies. Other nations despise the Americans because they do not practice what they preach.
I had a friend who lived in NJ, she was Pakistan and decided to move to Texas with her newly husband. she attended college. In one of her classes a topic of injustice came up and she realized that there are people that are still racist till this day. She warned me not to come to Texas, I replied that things like that happen in NJ anyway so it doesn’t matter where your at.
I proudly signed the petition and I believe its over 68,000.
I myself have signed the petition. but the problem is, it doesnt stop there. yeah its a start, but i can guarantee that a vask majority of us on here commenting are somewhat new school. thats why we need to step up. i seen that a couple of you mentioned jesse jackson and al sharpton. but what other leaders do we have. what are we gonna do when those guys are gone? our generation is so selfish that the generation after us only have ignorant MF’s like 100% to look up to. but i totally agree with networking alot of us that have myspace pages should use them for something other than fullfilling our own wants. since it is a way to connect with people all over. lets put our strength back into our minds to create more DR MLK, MALCOM X, ROSA PARKS, AND HARRIET TUBMAN’S, or else this petition is really a waste.
The funny thing is if we stuck together in the first place, had some respect for one another, acted like being black was not only worthy but beautiful we wouldnt have this type of situation.
We are very reactionary as a people sometimes, we wait for stuff to happen instead of doing prevention control.
I pray for my people everyday, because we are truly sad sometimes.
@ 100% && whoever else who said that this wasnt their problem or sumthing just as ignorant. one day ii hope your kids && the ones you love get caught up in sum unneccessary racial bull**** && wen all you can do is call on the public for their help they all say SORRY NOT MY PROBLEM *smh* On another note I signed the petition;;both of them && posted it all on my myspace. So kudos to ConcreteLoop for goin hard on this && God Bless all who help these people out.
WOW!!! I didn’t hear of this until David Banner spoke on it on 106&Park last week. I think that it is quite a shame for our country to still be at a point where mess like this is still going on and all everyone can report on is Mike Vick and some dogs!!WTF Maybe I’ve been lost for a while but when did animals become more important than human life?
WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT, WHEN YOU CALL FOR GOVT TO TAKE AWAY THE RIGHTS OF BLACK AMERICAN BOYS TO SPORT THE FASHION OF THEIR CHOICE???? THE DIRTY LOW LIFE OPRAH WINFREY HAS CONTRIBUTED GREATLY TO THESE ATTACKS UPON OUR BLACK YOUTH. IT STARTED WITH THE PANTS, NOW IT HAS ESCALATED WITH JAILING. STOP CALLING FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF YOUR OWN PEOPLE. STOP THE DAMN MADNESS!
I am literally in tears over this. I don’t understand how we can still have these issues in 2007. That school needs to be shut down permanently for having a so called “white” tree. Why in 2006 does anyone need approval to sit anywhere.
I’m begging everyone that reads this PLEASE teach your children decent morals and let them know that hating someone because of their race is JUST WRONG!!! Our ancestors should not have had to experience it, we should not have to experience it and our children definetly should not have to experience it!!!
This really hurts my heart….that’s all.
Also, I wanted to add that if you research your ancestors far back enough, you’ll learn that you are decendents of many different races and ethnicities. So for those of you that are so quick to dislike someone because they are black (or white, because we are guilty of it too) you may just be hateing on your own heritage, because there is no such thing as a pure white, black or any other race for that matter. REAL TALK!!!! Our hearts are all pretty much the same color and the same color blood runs through each and every one of our veins, the only thing we truly and purely are is HUMAN!!! WAKE UP!!!! (she screams at the top of her lungs!!!)
this makes me highly upset i sent emails to my local news channels asking why wern’t they giving this story the press that it needed? I urge you all to do the same if your local news isnt talking about it.
As I sit hear and read this post it brings tears to my eyes to know that there is so much hatered that people have among each other because of their skin color and ethnicity, it hurts my soul and my heart to know that things like this still goes on in this world today. Not only have I signed the petition but i will also be donating money for this outrageous $90,000 bail that they have gave this young man…..is this is what my kids and grand-children will have to go through in the future….if we dont do something now things like this are going to keep taking place and we will be doing the same thing that we are doing now, having pitty for ourselves. We need to change as people.
Angel,
Thanks so much for reposting this!!
I remember being a small child when I heard that Martin Luther King was dead. I also remember not understanding the importance of his death.
I also remember when I was ll years of age and my mother would talk me to marches for black equality in the south ( even at that age I could feel her fear, however, understanding that it was something inside of her that was saying I have to do this) and being given $20 dollars for a days work by the local activist Rev Drake to go door to door to help black complete voter registration forms.
I also remember seeing as a small child, white only signs and patronizing store where you had to stand outside to get what you wanted and give your money to the person inside who would hand you your product through a window because you could not go inside because of the color of your skin.
I also remember hearing about a group of black students sitting at a counter and refusing to move until they were served.
I remember leaving the South because I did not want to clean someone house to make a living or work in a factory.
I am now a 55 year old woman who obtained a B.A. and a Master Degree. I look at what I see here in New York. Whites and Black working together, living together and having children together. It makes you think that things like the Jena 6 could not possibly happen in the year of our Lord 2007.
I have not heard a lot about this story except on you radio show which normally I listen to on my way home from work.
I have to say that I am a little sad. Sad because I don’t need to know that Opra is one of the most powerful women in this country. I need to know that she thinks this is important enough to speak out on which could do more that ten marches in Jena ( I think). Has anyone tried to bring this to her attention?
When is Jessie, Andrew and Al? This is a time that we need their help. We as a people need so badily to progress not regress.
I went to your site and I read the story and sadily I have to say it brings a tear to my eye. I thought that most racist such as these were dead.
I would like to look back and remember, that you and all of the above pulled together and freed the Jena 6.
I would like to look back and remember that your and all of the above pulled together and remove the DA, Judge and Governor who have not stopped this madness.
I don’t know a lot that I can do, but what I will do, is tell the story as I have read it on your website.
I will ask them to tell the story to someone else and ask them to tell their some else to tell the story.
Maybe by word of mouth the story will spread.
KILL THE WHITE PEOPLE DON’T LET THEM LIVE!!!!!!
It saddens me to know that this is still going on. If you read the timeline of the Jena 6 you will see that an event involving a group of white boys beating up a black boy occurred and all they got was a $5,000 which was posted!!! Not attempted murder or second degree murder! This is totally unfair. In the contrasting situation, the white boy that was beat up was released from the hospital the same day! So what gives! Something has to be done before this really gets out of hand. We need to band together and help these young brothers out!
just sad and iam disgusted with this country.. as black people we need to ban together
I lived in Jena 4 over 18 years, but when I began to have children I knew it was time 2 move. i return 3-4 times a year, due to family remaining. I cant and I wont deal with racism. I would be in prison along side my sons. Its a shame ,because the color of your skin, that our children have to suffer. PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION AND SUPPORT THE JENA 6. I know these boys and their parents. I WILL DRIVE 12 hours 2 support them once again on Sept. 20th. 100%—U r well uneducated, i assume, that’s ur opinion, but who cares wat u r thinking. We have 2 support our young men against ANIMALS like u and Reed Walters. U never know until u’ve had 2 endure it. I lived it, so I know wat it is 2 be black and live with predjudice white people.
I think its a an absolute travesty. It is tantamont of the kind of evil that surrounds
us, and hinders the progress of african americans. A total disregard for justice
and our humans. Once again sending a strong message to whites, that blacks do not matter.
The way I hear this story, there was plenty of problems with the young folks at school, but the adults and the “authorities” made it all worse. The older generation needs to quite teaching the youth that today is just like yesterday, because it ain’t!
Today has its own set of problems, for certain, but I am sure each of you know people that are NOT like their parents. Maybe that even describes you! There are jerks of all races to be avoided at any school. If someone is an ass, that doesn’t make it cool to kick their teeth in. How they act reflects on them. How YOU ACT reflects on who YOU ARE! Don’t let anyone drag you into a fight, it just makes you look bad too.
There are mediation centers all over the US and students trained as mediators too. I am sure that there are plenty of people of all races who would support efforts to bring people together. How can any white people stand up with you for fairness, if all they hear is RACE this and RACE that? Why can’t it be people of justice vs. everyone else?
By the way, justice can also be about forgiveness, and sometimes that’s what it takes to move on. If you can get everyone screaming from ALL SIDES to drop everyone’s charges, then the troublemaking authorities might have to get lost.
Hey, if you wanna get some ideas about that one, check out the “forgivenessproject.com” I guess you can tell that I am white, but hey, I hope you can listen to me anyway. Revenge doesn’t go anywhere, so why not try making peace between students in Jena. This seems like the easier approach. The older generation is still stuck in the past. We don’t have to be!
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this is really sad of wat america has come to.
Doesnt the Martin Luther King jr speech mean anything to these people.
OK. so wat a boy was beaten up. he’ll live with a couple of scratches and bruises. but the students who are being charged with murder… their lives are being f**ked forever.
is it really that serious? kids get beat up everyday at almost every school. thats the harsh truth. and just because it was a white student getting beat on by a couple blacks it makes it attempted murder!? bulls**t.
there are worse crimes out there like rape and actual murder that they could be dealing with.
it’s a shame.
FREE THE JENA 6!
This is such an outrage, and a slap in the face to, not only the black race, but to all races. This only proves what has been swept under the rug for such a long time. It is such a good feeling to know that there are still strong, black men that can take charge and lead. I hope that this sets the example that justice should be equal for all.
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did you say some thing
This is some muthafuckin bullshit. Why do people have to be so damn ignorant?
A fuckin tree. thats petty as hell. This is a free Fuckin country. I don’t give a damn if you live in north, south, east or west. People need to learn to stop living in the fuckin past. Why must whites continue to hate blacks. what the fuck did we do to any of them? this shit pisses me off. People died for us to be equal and it’s like why?
this world is fucked up and full of confused ass people. I love my Black people. I am proud to be black. We are the best people ever!! we been through it all and that is why we are so strong to this day… Black people lets stick together on this one… I feel they should take this case str8 to D.C….. Because the judge and the jury is full of shit… No way they are suppose to be in jail for 22 years… who doesn’t have fights these days?.. i’ve had plenty and all I’ve been charged with was a battery… never did any time…is that because the females wasn’t white…?? Bullshit…. the color of your skin should not matter!!!! we are all human beings and God created us all as Indivisuals. Some may be black, white, brown, pink, whateva….. But we’re all humans….. not to be treated like animals….
Free the jena “6″
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what the hell is a white tree?
lolz