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Have you heard of the "Jena 6"? If not, take a look at how far we HAVEN'T

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Blue_Roses Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 02:34 PM
Original message
Have you heard of the "Jena 6"? If not, take a look at how far we HAVEN'T
come with getting rid of Jim Crow laws...



A White Judge, White Jury, and White Prosecutor Calling White Witnesses Leads To Conviction of Black Youth

Injustice in Jena: The 'White Tree'

by Bill Quigley

In a small still mostly segregated section of rural Louisiana, an all white jury heard a series of white witnesses called by a white prosecutor testify in a courtroom overseen by a white judge in a trial of a fight at the local high school where a white student who had been making racial taunts was hit by black students. The fight was the culmination of a series of racial incidents starting when whites responded to black students sitting under the "white tree" at their school by hanging three nooses from the tree. The white jury and white prosecutor and all white supporters of the white victim were all on one side of the courtroom. The black defendant, 17 year old Mychal Bell, and his supporters were on the other. The jury quickly convicted Mychal Bell of two felonies - aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. Bell, who was a 16 year old sophomore football star at the time he was arrested, faces up to 22 years in prison. Five other black youths await similar trials on attempted second degree murder and conspiracy charges.

Yes, you read that correctly. The rest of the story, which is being reported across the world in papers in China, France and England, is just as chilling.

The trouble started under "the white tree" in front of Jena High School. The "white tree" is where the white students, 80% of the student body, would always sit during school breaks.

In September 2006, a black student at Jena high school asked permission from school administrators to sit under the "white tree." School officials advised them to sit wherever they wanted. They did.

The next day, three nooses, in the school colors, were hanging from the "white tree." The message was clear. "Those nooses meant the KKK, they meant ^ÑNiggers, we're going to kill you, we're going to hang you till you die,'" Casteptla Bailey, mom of one of the students, told the London Observer.

The Jena high school principal found that three white students were responsible and recommended expulsion. The white superintendent of schools over-ruled the principal and gave the students a three day suspension saying that the nooses were just a youthful stunt. "Adolescents play pranks," the superintendent told the Chicago Tribune, "I don't think it was a threat against anybody."

-snip-

Whites in the community were adamant that there is no racism. "We don't have a problem," according to one. Other locals told the media "We all get along," and "most blacks are happy with the way things are." One person even said "We don't have many problems with our blacks."

--snip--


more...

http://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2007/07/14/18435382.php


Call on Governor Blanco to look into the District Attorney, Reed Walter.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/?id=2156-212586
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Fridays Child Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 02:51 PM
Response to Original message
1. This needs disinfecting with some sunlight from the American media.
As in the mainstream/corporate media.
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Blue_Roses Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:30 PM
Response to Reply #1
4. sure does
I had not heard about it until CatWoman brought up the link a day ago and since then I've been doing some research on this. It's like this town is living in the 1960's. I'm from Louisiana (live in Texas now) and I don't know how I didn't hear about this.
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sakabatou Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 03:29 PM
Response to Original message
2. "A youthful stunt?!"
Is he fucking serious?!
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Blue_Roses Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:28 PM
Response to Reply #2
3. Unbelievable, isn't it?
The DA in this case said, "I can make you disappear with the stroke of a pen," referring to the blacks in this case.

:mad:
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sakabatou Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:37 PM
Response to Reply #3
5. Fuckers!
:grr:
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Disturbed Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:39 PM
Response to Reply #3
7. "We don't have trouble with our blacks." "If we do then we
just hang them like our daddies use to do."
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gollygee Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:39 PM
Response to Original message
6. What an ironic response
Whites in the community were adamant that there is no racism. "We don't have a problem," according to one. Other locals told the media "We all get along," and "most blacks are happy with the way things are." One person even said "We don't have many problems with our blacks."

No, there isn't any racism there . . . no problems with *their blacks* at all. :sarcasm:
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Tim4319 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:42 PM
Response to Original message
8. Yeah, I had made a post about it earlier in the week.
Now that Michael Vick's case will be out of the public eye for a little while, I believe this and Genarlow Wilson should be front and center of the media's attention.


http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1440810
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NMMNG Donating Member (1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore Sat Jul-28-07 05:50 PM
Response to Original message
9. Huh?
"Adolescents play pranks," the superintendent told the Chicago Tribune, "I don't think it was a threat against anybody."

Not a threat my backside. :grr:
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