Is it really 2007? Jena, Louisiana ... asolutely unbelievable :(

[Kanada Kev]

Jena Six (1 of 3)

In September 2006, a group of African American high school students in Jena, Louisiana, asked the school for permission to sit beneath a "whites only" shade tree. There was an unwritten rule that blacks couldn't sit beneath the tree. The school said they didn't care where students sat. The next day, students arrived at school to see three nooses (in school colors) hanging from the tree.

The boys who hung the nooses were suspended from school for a few days. The school administration chalked it up as a harmless prank, but Jena's black population didn't take it so lightly. Fights and unrest started breaking out at school. The District Attorney, Reed Walters, was called in to directly address black students at the school and told them all he could "end their life with a stroke of the pen."

Black students were assaulted at white parties. A white man drew a loaded rifle on three black teens at a local convenience store. (They wrestled it from him and ran away.) Someone tried to burn down the school, and on December 4th, a fight broke out that led to six black students being charged with attempted murder. To his word, the D.A. pushed for maximum charges, which carry sentences of eighty years. Four of the six are being tried as adults (ages 17 & 18) and two are juveniles.

Yesterday, I was in Jena for the first day of the trial for Mychal Bell, one of the Jena Six. The D.A., perhaps in response to public pressure, tried to get Bell to cop a plea. Bell refused, and today, jury selection began. After today, we'll know whether or not the case will be tried in front of an all-white jury. Jena's 85-percent white, and it remains to be seen whether or not the six can get a fair trial.

Both off-the-record and on, Jena residents told me racism is alive and well in Louisiana, and this is a case where it rose above the levee, so to speak.

In the next few days, I'll be posting a few photos from Jena that are related to the case, as well as linking to a multimedia piece I'm working on. CNN began reporting on the story today, following the lead of the BBC, who crafted an excellent hour-long documentary that can be found on P2P networks.

Helpful Links:

Google News Link

Jena Six on Technorati Link

The Town Talk, local paper covering the trial Link

Video from TV8, Monroe, LA and ace reporter Jennifer Townley Link

michaeldavidmurphy.com

this picture, larger, on whileseated.org

MAIL: michael@whileseated.org

And, it looks like there is going to be an ALL-WHITE jury! F U C K

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/06/26/america/NA-GEN-US-Racial-School-Fight.php

Edited June 28, 2007 by Guest

[shainhouse]

wow. some things never change.

[Schwa.]

fuckin' south.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

Neil Young should write a song about it so Lynyrd Skynrd can insult him in yet another overplayed, hackneyed, southern pride cockrocker and make him shine all the more brightly.

(Different state, of course, but I hadn't ever paid attention to the lyrics of Sweet Home Alabama until last week, and I'm still shaking my head.)

[Cully]

Neil and Skynrd were good friends.

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It is a popular belief that the Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote their song "Sweet Home Alabama" as an attack on Neil Young for the opinions expressed in "Southern Man". In actuality, Lynyrd Skynyrd wrote their song as a response, showing the good things about the South. Young was even friends with the members of Lynyrd Skynyrd, saying that he is a fan of both "Sweet Home Alabama" and Ronnie Van Zant, the lead vocalist for Lynyrd Skynyrd. "They play like they mean it," Young said in 1976, "I'm proud to have my name in a song like theirs" (Ballinger 2002:81). Young has also been known to play "Sweet Home Alabama" in concert occasionally. To demonstrate this camaraderie, or perhaps as a mocking gesture, Van Zant frequently wore a Neil Young Tonight's the Night t-shirt while performing "Sweet Home Alabama". [1] Crazy Horse bassist Billy Talbot can often be seen reciprocating by wearing a Jack Daniels styled Lynyrd Skynyrd t-shirt. Lynyrd Skynyrd tried to arrange to have Neil Young come onstage during a performance of "Sweet Home Alabama", where he would have sung "a southern man don't need me around anyhow", but the performers were never able to arrange this performance due to busy touring schedules.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

I'd hope that were the case; thanks for getting me to dig deeper. I see now there's a Drive By Truckers tune about them.

[mousepad]

Although I'm not black, and I rarely think of myself as this... I am a 'person of colour' (Asian) and stories of racism strike very deep with me. Although I have experienced racism, I've been fortunate in that I haven't been the target of violent racism. That story is truly scary and sad.

[Kanada Kev]

The South has a lot of skeletons (and pointed hoodies) in their closet still. It's amazing what people have to put up with there still to this day. New Orleans was a prime example of what all levels of gov't thought about the plight of the predominantly black and poor in a time of need.

Earlier this year CBC debuted an amazing documentary on a case that had gone "cold" decades ago. With the tenacity of a CBC journalist, and the determination of a brother who had to live with the justice that was never served for his sibling's slaying, a positive story emerged. It was just re-aired tlast week, but you know it'll be on again soon. Look out for;

Mississippi Cold Case

http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/mississippicoldcase/

I got to meet the gentlemen involved in this doc briefly when it first aired. One of the most unique and inspiring friendships i have ever witnessed between two individuals.

Edited June 28, 2007 by Guest

[Kanada Kev]

[Esau.]

Neil and Skynrd were good friends.

Neil was also a pallbearer at Ronnie Van Zant's funeral.

[Esau.]

Neil Young should write a song about it so Lynyrd Skynrd can insult him in yet another overplayed, hackneyed, southern pride cockrocker and make him shine all the more brightly.

Stay away from the Drive-By Truckers if you don't like "southern pride" rock & roll songs.

[mark tonin]

Racism to the extreme just blows me away. Unbelieveable. Then again, we live in a world where genocide still exists. I shake my head in disbelief.

Peace, Mark

[phishtaper]

it strikes me that most responses are of the "those bad racists" ilk, without acknowledging that each of us has some racist (etc.) tendencies inside. i do and think things on occasion that i'm not all that proud of, whether its making assumptions, or even just casually checking on my wallet in my back pocket because of what someone walking nearby happens to look like, etc.

[mark tonin]

it strikes me that most responses are of the "those bad racists" ilk, without acknowledging that each of us has some racist (etc.) tendencies inside. i do and think things on occasion that i'm not all that proud of, whether its making assumptions, or even just casually checking on my wallet in my back pocket because of what someone walking nearby happens to look like, etc.

I agree with and accept what you are saying phishtaper. What I can't get my head around is racism to such an extreme that it leads to torture, murder, and genocide.

Peace, Mark

[Schwa.]

and/or imbalanced justice.

[mark tonin]

and/or imbalanced justice.

Yes, which is more to the theme of this thread.

Peace, Mark