Update on the Jena 6 case
It's just now making the national Big Media radar, but the case of the Jena 6 -- the African-American youth facing trumped-up charges for a schoolyard fight in rural Louisiana -- has been steadily capturing attention across the country in recent months. Our blog updates here at Facing South have received thousands of hits; reader MP tells us that a Facebook profile on the case gets thousands of new members a day.So what's the latest? On Monday, charges were reduced for another of the youth, as the Associated Press reports:
Prosecutors reduced the attempted murder charge against another of the "Jena Six," a group of black high school students whose criminal charges after the beating a white classmate drew protests of racism and unequal justice. Robert Bailey Jr. pleaded not guilty Monday to aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery.As the AP reminds us, the "attempted murder" charge never made sense: "The victim of the Dec. 4 beating, Justin Barker, was treated at a hospital for injuries and released the same day."
He was among five of the six teens originally charged as adults with attempted murder. The sixth was charged in juvenile court.
But another of the youth, Bryant Purvis, still faces the dubious murder charge. And all of the youth could face serious time for aggravated battery -- up to 15 years and a $10,000 fine.
On September 20, the NAACP and other national groups will be leading a march in Jena. That's the day that Mychal Bell -- convicted of aggravated battery -- will be sentenced. Busloads will be descending on the town from places like Maryland, North Carolina and Tennessee; meanwhile rallies and vigils are being held in support across the country, like this one in South Carolina.
The case has become a rallying cry and galvanizing force across the country. As Djenaba Sanders, a Nashville activist said:
"If we don't come together to support this issue, it shows we'll let anything happen to us as a people. We need to stick together; otherwise we'll be going backwards instead of forward."
Labels: jena six, race and racism
22 Comments:
This whole mess about a schoolyard fight is being pushed out of contents. There are schoolyard fights going on every day which includes gangs and racism and I have not heard one state going to the extreme as Louisiana. The Prosecutor, from what I have read has a lot of racial blood going thru him and I feel that some where in his life he may have had a bad experience with blacks and feel that the way he can get his revenge is to place such stupid and ignorant charges against an African-American young man to try and teach those in and around that area supposingly a lesson. Fights as this goes on every where and I have yet to hear of such harsh sentencing. I hope I never have to visit such a racisit state as Louisiana because for the actions that happened and the outcome, I would he afraid to try and cross the street knowing that the Prosecutor is waiting on the other side just to put my tail in jail and treat me as nothing. There is always two sides to every story and all we have been hearing is what the African-American did and not so much of what JUSTIN BARKER had to contribute to what happened.
Kids fight, go to the hospital, get treated and release every day but not one of them get the conviction that Mr. Prosecutor was trying to place on Mr. Mychal Bell.
I would love to been able to attend
this rally but my prayers will go out to each and every one of the 6 families that is having to deal with such ignorance of Louisiana.
It is sad to think or even hear that after all these years we are still facing the racism. My ancester and my fellow african American heroins fought for this. God bless their soul, but can you imagine how are turning over in their grave. Why is it that this young man is being tried as an adult or being tried period, and the other student gets to walk free. From what I have read he was provoked. How can we stop this? Honestly I feel that the judge that has this case should be tried also. I mean how can you sleep at night knowing that you have a young man in prison for something as little as. Are they just trying to fill up empty spaces? It's interesting to know that no matter the protest, the fight, the arguments for this young mans release that judge can easily over look everything and do his own ruling upon his feelings. I mean in society it's just another black man arrested, taking his dream away. His life won't be the same. But I do expect him to walk with his head up high. We as African Americans have been through to mush to allow any one to make us walk with our heads bowed down. Raise your head my brother and know that you are not alone.
Paula Aristene
Virginia
Unfortunately, these boys aren;t being tried because of any crime they committed, they are being tried because of their RACE. I'm sick and tires of race being used in all cases. In the constitution it states that all citizens should have a jury of their peers, these are boys, not men, they are African American, why is there an all white jury? Injustice, huh. I don't care what is said. this case is Racial, and it's messed up.
While hanging ropes from trees is a dispicable act, six males ganging up to beat one is even worse. Murder charges are incredibly extreme but the punishment for a gang beating is not in the same category as hanging ropes over trees. There would be no need for laws if we were inabled to be judge and jury ourselves. Instead of rationalizing the behavior of the black youths by saying the fights go on every day simply state that what they did was wrong, they should have some type of punishment for ganging up on someone who couldn't fend off six at once and leave race out of it. Gang banging behavior may be deemed acceptable in the hip hop generation of today but those who posses functional thinking do not find this gang mantality part of a functional culture.
You can not over look the fact that six people almost beat one man to dealth.
6 black kids put a white kid in a kick circle, beat him till he was out cold, some of them are repeat violent crime offenders, and you want them dismissed??? This is a hate crime on top of assault and battery with a shod foot (deadly weapon). If 6 white kids beat 1 black kid, the Black Community would want the prosecuter to throw the book at them. The Black community needs to look up the definition of racism. Also, if a white kid sat in on the "black" bleachers, what would happen..... if the black kids sat by the tree, and the white kids called it the "black tree", would that be racist too? It sounds like there is racism (Black on White and White on Black) all over this town. If Doctor Martin Luther King was incharge of this march it would be in peace and to bring all sides a bit closer. But Sharpton just wants it to be about these 2 hoods and their 4 cohorts getting off and nothing else.
This is ridiculous. I have seen way worse crimes that go barely punished, compared to this mess that LA is trying to pull. I have seen crimes worse and people get off with a slap on the wrist. The fact that some one allowed this prosecutor even come into their lives over this is just plain stupid. Technically, I say the 6 boys acted in fear, if we want to flip the situation, hanging ropes could be a death threat and those boys acted on impulse because they feared for their lives. Understanding that several days or weeks passed in between, but how do we know the white boy was making jokes about it or bringing it up. We don't know what was going on in this boys schools or what even lead to the fight. I know for a FACT that 6 black boys didn't just wake up that morning and say "HEY LET'S BEAT UP A WHITE BOY TODAY". Something lead to these boys fighting and instead of trying to figure out what this is, let's just hang some black boys. Seeing ropes being hung from a tree, would spook any African-American. So if we want to have trumped up charges lets have trumped up reason why things happen. I feel that this prosecutor got whooped one day by a black person when he was in school, because he called some one the N-word or he disrespected a black person. And because he could not get the revenge on this other person he is trying to get it the best way he can. There is no lesson to this. Kids fight it's what they do.
This is such a digression from the days of the civil rights movement. The civil rights movement was about equality, about being treated the same, and being able to live the same life. These days the African American community for the most part wants equality; however when something bad happens they want to claim that it is because they are black. I got pulled over for speeding, the cop was racist, I got arrested for drugs, the cop was racist, I didn't get the job, forget the fact that I am under qualified it’s because the company is racist.
Its time to grow up and start taking responsibility for your actions people, quite using your color and the 1960's as a crutch.
6 people beat up one kid, plain and simple. I bet if 6 white kids beat up 1 black kid you all would be singing a different tune. If 6 white kids beat up 1 black kid Jesse, Al, and every last member of the NAACP, would be there wanting the kids charged with a Federal Hate crime.
Yes the prosecutor was beaten up by a black boy 30 years ago and this is his way of extracting revenge. Typical mentality of not taking responsibility of your own actions.
I have read all the blog and just have one thing to say about the whole issue. No matter how you look at it, this is racially motivated. I am from an small town close to Jena and I am not 40 and Jena has always been a racist place. I have not read anywhere in all the posting or news coverage that these were to boys who acturally beat up the WHITE BOY as you all have referred to him as. Only reason I have read about these 6 boys is that they were the head of the protest about the tree incident and have not become to focal point of this DA. We have failed to see any charges brought against the boys who beat the black student, why are they not being charged or the Adult who had the loaded shot-gun pointed at the young boys at the gas stationed. Come on you guys lets be real and call it like it is and plus do some research and find out how many young black males have been convicted, killed or run out of Jena in the pass years, I am sure you will find that the numbers would be shocking!!!!!!
First things first here, the noose incident happened in the very beginning of the school year. They went through almost 4 months of school before this incident took place. The teens responsible for the noose were not charged criminally because there is no applicable law against it.
The incident at hand is very simple. The victim was not a willing combatant; he was struck from behind and rendered unconscious. Once unconscious and unable to defend himself 6 people began to kick him and beat him. The very fact that they struck him from behind indicates pre-meditation, which in any criminal offense severely stiffens the penalty.
As for the shotgun at the "gas stationed" there were no reports filled which is why no one was charged. One man with a loaded shotgun and the three teens"supposedly" wrestled it away from him. No one was injured, no shots were fired, and no one called the police. Sounds like make believe incidents that make it look like the town is something out of the 60's.
What about the African American youth that was involved at a school party. There was a Caucasian charged for that crime, however they were both willing combatants, it was not pre-meditated therefore it was lesser of a crime.
It seems that everyone was stuck on the fact that this kid was not put in a coma or severely injured. That is beside the point. He was attacked by multiple individuals set out to do grave bodily harm. Had this been on the street instead of in school maybe there would not have been someone around to end it soon enough and this kid would have been more severely injured or even worse killed.
I wish the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton and even MKL III, would go after black on black crime as hard as they do when there is a question of race involved. For that matter I wish the African American community would address black on black crime as much as they pay attention to things when race is involved. The only problem is that black on black crime does not draw enough press and publicity for Jesse, Al, and MLK III, to get involved and for the rest of the community when it comes to black on black crime you don't know what side of the fence to get on seeing as there is no whit oppressor to point your finger at and blame for it.
THIS IS A BUNCH OF CRAP!!! IF THERE WAS 6 WHITE BOYS WHO BEAT ONE BLACK BOY THEY WOULD LET THEM SLIDE...GIVE THEM A DAY IN JAIL!!! BUT NOW IT IS THE OTHER WAY AROUND AND EVERYBODY THINKS THEY DESERVE IT!!! IF ANYTHING IF IT TOOK 6 BOYS TO BEAT ONE BOY THEY HAD A REASON FOR DOING IT!!! PEOPLE OR ALL RACES FIGHT IN GANGS OR CLICKS BUT HOW MANY DO U SEE GOING TO JAIL!!! THEY HAVE A REASON FOR TAKIN THIS MATTER SO SERIOUSLY THIS IS A RACIST CASE AND IT SHOULD BE HANDLED THE WAY THEY ARE DOING IT...I GIVE A STANDING OVATION FOR EVEYONE WHO IS FOR REALISING THE JENA6!!!!
Ok, I am from Fishville, Louisiana, which is right outside of Jena, Louisiana. First of all, it is generally very peaceeful around the area, or was generally peaceful. second of all if you remove the color of a person's skin from ther situation you still have 6 people ganging up on one single person and beating him unconcious. Should the Jena 6 be charged with murder? No, but they should be convicted of atleast aggravated assault and they should serve some time in atleast a juvenile detention center. The b.s. about all the racism needs to be stopped. It has nothing to do with race. It is about right from wrong.
Racism exists everywhere. I am not African American and will never know or understand what the black race has been through. Seeing as what happened in Jena, society has just rewound what the black race has tried and is trying to overcome. I do see that the justice system has been unbalanced in Jena. I do believe the three boys that hung the nooses were let off easy (come on now...3 days in-school supension for a death threat?!). I do believe that if the Jena 6 are to be charged with crimes then so should the white kids that hung the nooses, the white kids that beat up the black student, the white kid that had a shotgun and the DA for his racist actions.
This situation is simply a school yard fight that was provoked off of racism. Firstly, no one noticed that the students requested permission from the Principle to sit in an unspoken "whites only area" of THEIR SCHOOLYARD. This is the truth in a nutshell of the whole incident. The fact that they had to request that says so much about the school and the community there. Its a simple, but very notable fact of the story. A few people touched on the fact that the "BARN" incident was not even noted within some of your views. We all need to open up our eyes and realize that RACISM is NOT DEAD, BUT ALIVE STILL! Its shown in different ways and is masked. The grown MAN who beat the one teen and had his gang of people assist was not charged as he is to be according to the LA justice system. They are trumping charges on this one child who had a provoked fight with another child. As his hospital visit was reported as an outpatient visit indicates the lack there of to inflict murderous actions on the child. Possibly he couldn't handle fighting and was weak, therefore causing him to be rendered unconscious after a certain point. Plainly identified, this case is blown out of proportion, this school acts as if they have never had children fighting in it before. And they even allowed the children to act in negative behaviors towards one another for this whole duration of the incident. Discipline of the whole school needs to incur. The adults need to present a non-racial environment for the children to dwell in. School is to be a learning institute. The fact that the school bd dismissed the noose as a "harmless prank" as a learned behavior from a movie, indicates the lack of knowledge and respect that the white parents and authority figures have towards black history. It was acknowleged during a news article that there are white supporters of the Jena 6 movement, but as an outsider looking in through the media, I saw NO WHITE supporters ONLY BLACK. And I do recall even during the Civil Rights Movements there were some but they stood strong with the blacks and didn't hide there support. Its awful what happens in any school as far as children being violent either verbally, mentally, or physically towards one another. But this situation needs to be handle via a simple suspension or juvenial detention for all involved over the course of those months not just the few.
I am so tired of listening to people try and say eveything is racially motivated. I live in a city that has a pretty equal mix of african americans, hispanics, and caucasions, and I will tell you that if six kids of any race beat up one kid the people of this city would expect something to be done. I mean come on are we so focused on race these days that we cannot see a crime for what it is. I believe the charges were ridiculous, however I do not think these kids should get off totally free, especially the ones already charged with violent crimes. This country has went backwards as far as intergration. Is it really any wonder that our young people are as screwed up and violent as they are. Racisim comes in all colors and races. I really love to hear people say that all these black man get shafted when it comes to the justice system, and that white man get off or get less time. I think people should learn to research before talking. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, the majority of prisoners on death row are Caucasian. Also according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics “Since the death penalty was reinstated by the Supreme Court in 1976, white inmates have made up more than half of the number under sentence of death.” My moto is you do the crime you do the time. One last thing: I have always instilled in my son we are all part of one race and it is called the human race.
So it's ok for six black boys to beat 1 white boy ? where is the reasoning in this? Should they just go unpunished? What if this were reversed? Would that be ok? I am so sick of everything that doesn't go The naacp's way being called racism. I am beginning to think we have reverse racium.
What is wrong with the white community? We have rights too.
Do we have a White Miss America?
Do we have an all white Schools?
from what I've readed some of the jena 6 have crimal records they ganged up &beat up 1 person. And u want them free.Come on lets get real.kids are tired as adulds everyday.The jena6went to far.They took it in their hands to do something instead of going to get help the right way.And that's wrong
I have read through some of these comments and believe that some are driven by passion, while others by rationale. But all the ones that I've read make some great points. I belive this has become less about the crime and more about the racial motivation that is behind it. We have to face the fact that we live in a world (America expecially) where race and will always play a role in the perception and outcome of any situation. At the end of the day, what those young black men did was wrong. I have to admit that we don't know exactly what happened to provoke their actions and I'm almost sure there's a lot more to this story that we're not getting. However, they can't expect to beat up a white boy, six on one, and get a way with it in a town where asking to sit under the tree was even an notion. The fact that they felt they needed permission to sit under that tree is a direct indaication of their awareness of the stupidity and ignorance that goes on in Jena. With that said, there should have been organized rallies and protests to fight racism before it escalated to such a degree. But what's done is done. I'm not saying that the way the situation is being handled is completely under the stature of the constitution regarding their rights as human beings. Its absolutely not fair that young Mr. Bell was tried and convicted as an adult by an all white jury while the hanging ropes are being written off as a juvenile prank. But we are fooling ourselves if we think that going to Jena or even rallying in our own streets across America is going to release these young boys from the racial-neuse that hangs here today and everyday. I am in no way one to blame anything on "the man" 'cause I get what I came for everyday. And I'm also not saying that we should sit back watch as we are treated injustly like animals with no value. But what we need to do is fight a better battle. Recognize and acknowledge our wrong-doings and show some humility. I'm sure these young men realize that what they have done is wrong, and by fighting to free them, we are sending the message that violence is the way to solve our problems and release our frustrations. I'm sure many of you do not agree with that idea, even when it may present itself as the most convenient method at some times. Its not ok to fight the battle against racism in spurts. Racism rears its ugly head everyday in many ways and therefor should be protested everyday in just as many ways. By showing respect for the struggles of our ancestors and current-leaders. By doing something positive and productive in our communities. Helping to teach the younger generations how to grow and get their own so we don't have to sit under "their" trees. It is sad to say that the people will probably never be a "we". The people will always co-exist as "us" and "them". But is that not ok? Are we not glad to celebrate our differences? As long as we can respect each other, there should be no problem. But before we can respect them, we have to learn to respect ourselves and learn to present ourselves in a manner that demands that they reciprocate that respect which is earned, not given. Resorting to violence only perpetuates this image of us that we are brutes without the mental capacity to handle disputes in a more civilized way. In these situations we always bring up the struggles of our slained leader Dr. Marting Luther King, Jr. Do you honestly think he would support the way in which these young men handled themselves? Yes, I am mad and disappointed at the regression that occurs everytime we have to face the topic of race and racism. But making changes starts at home. Show your support, sing out and express your feelings and discretions. All I am asking is that you please make sure that your house is in order before you try to take on the problems of the world.
The racial tension that is going on with this case is unneccessary. I do believe the charges may be a little severe. But reading and hearing the facts unfold in this case, there is a criminal element at work here as well as a racial question. 6 on 1 should not be unpunished, murder maybe not, but premeditation and strategic planning can not and should not ever be overlooked when dealing with something like this. This may be a flagship case that the rest of the country can look at and use to do somehting about all the other gang type violence that goes on and maybe it will be a deterrant to this ugly kind of stuff. Lesson the sentences and get the young men some help for what is obviously a big problem with conflict resolution, some much needed life skills training and maybe that would be the best.
It has been over 200 years and blacks are still dealing with rascism in america.And america is woundering why she's falling.GOD is going to destory this country and all of it's rascism.EVERY knee will bend and EVERY tongue will and must confess.That's why god is going to destory this country,so that no one will take the credit but him so his power may be seen and known.That's why we should pray for god's return to end this madness.Jena and all cities like you GOD is about to show you who's really in charge!!! My prayers or with the jena 6.God bless you,your brother from new orleans.
First of all, I would like to say to the idkno person that everything that you are saying is a load of crap. First of all hanging a noose from a tree is not just an everyday thing. Its not like sticking up your middle finger at somebody. This is what all lot my ancestors had to look up to during their lives. Being hanged for absolutely no reason whatsoever. So for this Justin Barker person to hang a noose from the "WHITE TREE" may not say anything to you but it says a lot to me. It says that this school was already racially divided. And I'm not saying that it is right for the black boys to beat up the white boy but if some kind of action was taken to expell Justin and his friends, like the principle of the school wanted to, then this whole situation wouldn't have gotten to the point that it is at today.And another thing that was not fair about the trial was that there was an ALL WHITE JURY. At least get a black judge to make it a little more fair. And another thing, the district attorney for Mychael Bell wasn't even defending him. So what this says to me is that everything about the damn trial was unfair. All white jury, white judge, the district attorney not doing his job and the fact that they were trialed as adults. THEIR NOT EVEN OUT OF HIGHSCHOOL SO WHO WAS THE GENIUS THAT DECIEDED TO TRIAL THEM AS ADULTS AND NOT JUVENILES. And why would you even try to say that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, and Martin Luther King III wasn't right. They had every right to stand up for those boys in any way that they could. And no not all black people blame it on their race so just stop with the lies. If you want to put it like that, then what about when black people get the jobs that the white people want. What's the first thing that ya'll say "Those damn N-word" Yeah, so before you go off saying that all black people blame it on race, look back on your life and reflect on all the stupid and ignorant things that you say. And I'm not saying that all white people are like that but for those who are, and u kno who u r, pay attention to what you say because it just might get you in a situation like this one.
Charmaine, for the record, Justin Barker reportedly was not involved in the hanging of the nooses. Barker was allegedly targeted for taunting one of the Jena 6 about an incident outside a local store where the black youth had a shotgun pulled on him by a white student -- and then was arrested for theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery and disturbing the peace.
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