Please read the latest Jena Six post here.
Blatant racism is exposed in a small town here in Louisiana, culminating in the burning of the high school and attempted second degree murder charges against six students (the “Jena 6″) for a high school fight. The high school in this 85% white town evidently self-segregated, as schools often do, but apparently it became less about choice and more about enforcement because a group of black students found it necessary to ask permission to sit under a tree where white students normally sat. The school administrator told them they were free to sit where they liked, and when they went to the tree the next day, they found three nooses hanging from the branches.
Three punks were “quickly” identified as the culprits, according to this Chicago Trib article. (I can’t help but wonder if they were quickly identified because they were bragging and laughing it up.) Result: 3 days suspension.
“Adolescents play pranks,” said Breithaupt, the superintendent of the LaSalle Parish school system. “I don’t think it was a threat against anybody.”
Pranks?! Roy Breithaupt cannot possibly be that stupid. But if he is, he’s not alone. According to , the three days suspension was justified by>
asserting that the noose were merely a silly prank inspired by a hanging scene in the television min-series ‘Lonesome Dove’.
Since when do teenage boys watch Lonesome Dove? Teenage boys watch MTV. They don’t watch western miniseries on the Hallmark channel. Give me a break. A noose is a statement, just as making a motion as if to slit your throat, or pointing your index finger as if it were the barrel of a gun is a statement. And in the south, a noose is a particular pointed, threatening statement. A prank is when you string some guy’s underwear up the flagpole so everyone can see his skidmarks. A prank is a water balloon or filling a locker with shaving cream. A noose? Not so much.
As they say at Fark, after the nooses, hilarity ensued. From the Trib article:
First, a series of fights between black and white students erupted at the high school over the nooses. Then, in late November, unknown arsonists set fire to the central wing of the school, which still sits in ruins. Off campus, a white youth beat up a black student who showed up at an all-white party. A few days later, another young white man pulled a shotgun on three black students at a convenience store.
Finally, on Dec. 4, a group of black students at the high school allegedly jumped a white student on his way out of the gym, knocked him unconscious and kicked him after he hit the floor. The victim — allegedly targeted because he was a friend of the students who hung the nooses and had been taunting blacks — was not seriously injured and spent only a few hours in the hospital.
But the LaSalle Parish district attorney, Reed Walters, opted to charge six black students with attempted second-degree murder and other offenses, for which they could face a maximum of 100 years in prison if convicted. All six were expelled from school.
Second degree murder charges for a high school beating? Reginald M., a Jena High School graduate, has a great summary of all this and some excellent links at Listen to me for a minute. And as one commenter put it, “it’s like the 60’s never happened.”
This is not just a school problem. It’s a town problem.
Jena and La Salle Parish have been heavily Republican since a two-party system took root in Louisiana. The town is 85 percent white, an unusual high white composition in Louisiana. In the 2003 gubernatorial race, however, La Salle Parish voted heavily for the Democratic Lieutenant Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, rather than the young Republican challenger Bobby Jindal, an Indian American now a U.S. Representative from Metairie in Jefferson Parish. Blanco received 2,974 votes (61 percent) to Jindal’s 1,917 ballots (39 percent).[1]
And the guy who pulled the shotgun on the students at the convenience store evidently wasn’t even charged. But then, if a noose is a prank, I guess that shotgun thing was something for America’s Funniest Home Videos.
A slightly different point of view – a local pastor acknowledges the racism, but reminds people that these events were spread out of the course of eight months, and says that the punks with the nooses -
were first suspended and then sent to an alternative school off-campus. They underwent psychological evaluations before being re-admitted to Jena High School and even then were separated from the student body at first.
Is that enough for the original offense? How much responsibility should these students bear for effects of the chain of events they triggered? I’m not at all sure, but even that pastor writes,
LaSalle Parish is awash in racism: True racism. Not the sort of affirmative action/name-calling/reparations-seeking fluff that keeps Jesse Jackson and liberal do-gooders in business, but a systematic, culture of bigotry, neglected by the scrutiny of time.
Here in the piney woods of central Louisiana, where some gentle, old, Christian, white women still call graying black men “boy” and some angry, young, Christian, black teens attack pizza delivery trucks that would dare enter their neighborhood, racism and bigotry are such a part of life that most of the citizens do not even recognize it. Cross Highway127 just south of Jena and you enter two different worlds, separated by class and race. If we as Christians face powers, principalities, and rulers of darkness in high places it is certain that part of the spiritual wickedness arrayed against the citizens of LaSalle Parish is hatred born of racism.
It’s not just some teenage punks, it’s town-wide. But… and it’s a big BUT…
All that may be suddenly changing. Through a series of events, which include white boys hanging a noose from a tree on school grounds, which infuriated some black parents, racial fights in various locations in town, the gutting of Jena High School by an unknown arson, and culminating with the arrest of several black boys for attacking a white boy, beating him mercilessly, at the high school, the ministers of Jena decided it was time to do something. A meeting was hastily called. White and black ministers met to discuss the problems facing our youth and to turn to the only One with the power to stop the hatred swirling around us. The ministers joined together to publish a statement in our local paper (this week’s edition can be found at http://www.thejenatimes.net/index2.html;) a walk-through prayer meeting was held at all the local schools on Sunday evening; the following Wednesday night, all the churches, black and white, closed so that everyone could meet at the Jena High School football stadium to pull together for our community to fight the real enemy of our souls. The local radio station broadcasted the service live for those who could not attend in person.
What an amazing sight it was! There was the United Pentecostal preacher standing with the Baptist pastor, seeking the hand of God for our children. There was the black minister lifting his voice with the white minister to sing praises to our King. The principal of Jena High School was thrilled to see us there on his campus, politically correct or not, calling on the Name of Jesus for mercy and for grace. The Superintendent of Schools caught the spirit and preached like a Bible-thumping evangelist from a rickety pulpit. The “congregation” of our city gathered together in one accord to fight the spiritual wickedness that has bound us for so long. Perhaps the most touching moment of all was when the students, black and white, suddenly joined together on the football field and sang the alma mater hand in hand, special emphasis given to the line that states, “God keep safe thy fame.” All convention was set aside for the higher purpose of finding answers. We called on our Savior to set the captives, all of us, free. In all my years I never saw it such in Jena, Louisiana.
Change comes in small steps. Time will tell if we have made any substantive progress. Perhaps, because we’ve waited so long to take up our weapons against racism here in Jena, change can come in this huge leap of faith that so many Christians of every race, class, and denomination have taken to save our children. Pray for us, and may God grant us success with each new step/leap forward in this battle for spiritual survival.
The trial, if the defendants choose to have a jury, may well have an all white jury in this 85% white town. I’m not going to make the trial because Jena is too far upstate – north of Alexandria – but I’ll be keeping an eye on it and posting updates.
Maybe the 60s are finally happening to Jena. If the Jena 6 do receive justice – and by justice, at most I mean time served, because they never should have been in jail at all for a high school fight without weapons, even a 6 on 1 fight – that will be a start. But only a start. Shall we overcome?
Trackposted to Perri Nelson’s Website, The Virtuous Republic, The Random Yak, guerrilla radio, DeMediacratic Nation, On the Horizon, Webloggin, Leaning Straight Up, Conservative Cat, The Magical Rose Garden, stikNstein… has no mercy, The Crazy Rants of Samantha Burns, Pirate’s Cove, Blue Star Chronicles, The Pink Flamingo, Dumb Ox Daily News, High Desert Wanderer, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.
I am personally confused as to why it is the noose hanging whites that are accused of starting this. Yes this was a horrible series of events, but why did the black people have to sit under the tree that has been historically white? What were they going to accomplish by sitting under the tree, other than piss off the whites?Its really a shame that its still looked at as the “blacks” and the “whites” but when you are in an area what that is very prevalent why would you instigate something?
I am in no way saying that I condone the actions by the whites that hung the nooses but who’s to say that they are the ones that crossed this line first?
Nate, when God created the Earth he did not say “I’ll make this tree white here in Jena” think about what you say before you post. That is one of the most idiotic things I have ever heard.
OMG, Nate you’re an ignorant person, and also an OBVIOUS discrimantory person. I can’t believe you would write that. I just hope after you typed that, you realized how ridiculous that sounded. Are you saying that a white person who lives in a predominately black town and goes to a predominately black school (and there are some out there), would they deserve to discriminated against if they went to, ummm, let’s say a school game. Well according to you, it would be right and just for the blacks to start something with the white students, b/c, according to you, they have clearly “instigated” the situation by going to the game. That is so STUPID! Your are condoning the noose hanging act, and if you’re not condoning it, you’re definitely making excuses for it. NOT ACCEPTABLE. “Historically white tree”?!?! Please get some education!
OMG, Nate you’re an ignorant person, and also an OBVIOUS discrimantory person. I can’t believe you would write that. I just hope after you typed that, you realized how ridiculous that sounded. Are you saying that a white person who lives in a predominately black town and goes to a predominately black school (and there are some out there), would they deserve to discriminated against if they went to, ummm, let’s say a school game. Well according to you, it would be right and just for the blacks to start something with the white students, b/c, according to you, they have clearly “instigated” the situation by going to the game. That ideal is so LUDACRIS! You are condoning the noose hanging act, and if you’re not condoning it, you’re definitely making excuses for it. NOT ACCEPTABLE. “Historically white tree”?!?! Please get some education!
Uhm that Daris person .. . you’re stupid. you need to think about what you wrote. Why would we go back to segregation.? Nobody is forcing all the differant races to be around each other. They choose to be where they are. If they don’t want to be around a certain race than they can keep themselves from being in their prescense. Racism is pathetic!! I feel extremely sick to read about these students. White or black, or whatever race you may be .. that doesn’t give you more or less rights. That “prank” they did, was nothing near funny. A prank does not get that serious and just for that, they should have been punished. These black students should not have to suffer and be treated differantly, while these racist white students get away with the same and even worse things they did. I believe that there needs to be a massive change in that town.
One thing that everyone needs to look at is that an injustice to one person is an injustice to all of us. It’s the color of skin one minute, what will it be next? The color of hair, eye color? When does it stop and who makes that decision? We, the people, must take a stand to fight injustice. At the time of this post, Mychal Bell has been released, and the charges dropped to juvenile offenses. Walter Reed (the DA) can make the decision to bring the charges to juvenile court. I strongly believe that it was the nation’s decision to take action that brought this about. It gives me pride, as a young black woman, to see people of all ages and races make plans to be in Jena on the 20th to rally against this injustice and stand up for these young boys. Because of our collective efforts we have prevented a wrong. However, it’s not over. The other 5 are still awaiting trial and it hasn’t been stated whether or not it will go through. Please keep your thoughts and prayers on these boys, their families, Jena and our country.
It’s funny people are really under the delusion that this is not about race. When those white boys at Duke were accused of commiting a crime it was as if the country went into an uproar. As if to say “these good wholesome boys” wouldn’t do a thing like that. Hummp. This is a shame. Now yea the boys should be suspended from school just like they would have done to the white boys had the shoe been on the other foot but no in a city full of racial tension they were sent to prison. If this were two separate group of black kids then they would have been suspended cause nobody would have cared. But since it was black kids retaliating to white kids then its a crime punishable by the courts. In the school I am in now in my sociology class it amazes me how some of the students really believe that racism doesn’t exist. My professor asked “why is it that people who commit the same crime both with no criminal backgrounds will the white offender get less time or even no time and the black offender get not just a time in prison but many many years.” There was a student who actually said that some people just need to be taught a harder lesson. That other people “blacks” deserve more time so that they can understand that they don’t need to commit the crime again.” I mean come on are you kidding me. I had to turn all the way around in my seat because I knew she just had to be joking. But she was serious as a heart attack. Where kind of ignorant statement is that to make that “Black people need to learn the hard way.” What amazed me more that some people were agreeing with her. I mean even college education can’t even cure ignorance.
Since no DNA or evidence was found, and the Duke players were exonerated, and of course, the white DA has ruined his career, what is being done to the black girl who started all this??????she lied to the DA to start with, but she is scott free because she is black……..Al Sharpton tried his best to convict those boys because they were white.
If the Jena 6 were white and the boy was black, you can bet Al would march on Thursday. Either way, Al Sharpton will defend his color, whether they are right or wrong.
Not one time has he ask about the health of the boy who was attacked. The young boy who stayed in jail until this week had at least four violent charges against him and was on probation and this is why he has been in jail longer..Six on one is a scary thing to think about, if you are the one…
After the Civil War, the Feds purchased land in Africa for black people and they were offered the chance to go home, and very few left, why? they had a better life here.
The Confederate Flag never flew over a slave ship, it was the US and British flags to name a few. The Confederate Flag is a battle flag. Only five percent of the Southern population had slaves and the rest were poor white tenant farmers. The War Between the states could have been avoided if Lincoln had paid the Southern Planation Owners the money that they paid the Northern Slave traders for their slaves, and he refused.. Lincoln paid the Northern slave holders, in order for them to free thier slaves.. The North was jealous of the prosperty in the South and the only way to shut them down was to free the slaves at a loss to the farmers. England offered to help the South win the war and we refused because our ancestors had fought hand in hand against Britain in the Revolutionary War. The poor men, both white, Indian, and black who served in the war didn’t own slaves..they were drafted by the South..
White men in the South were hanged many times for stealing a chicken or a horse, which was a crime in the 1860’s. When a black man was hung, what crime did he commit? Was he always innocent???just because he was black…In North Carolina in 1780, when the father died, the children were taken from the mother and indentured, so to learn a trade. They were indentured for seven years, and if the wealthy Planter wanted to keep them longer, he would punch them or knock them down and the courts would sentence them to another seven years. A suit of clothes is all he gave them. I know because I have an ancestor who was an indentured servant along with his brothers. Will I ask for reparations? No. My ancestors came here in the late 1600’s. After the Civil War, the Feds raided the South and stole my ancestors personal possessions and tagged the furniture and shipped it North to their homes on trains. They told the black families that they could have the pigs and cows and the black families refused and said they were not hungry..I suggest that young people read Civil War History and read the letters written about plantation life. It’s not as bad as you think..In the South, black people wouldn’t leave the master and his family, because they were a part of that family and both master and slave are buried next to each other many times….I sometimes feel that white and black people should be able to choose if they want to associate or not. You can’t make people like you. I am white, and I chose the black people in my life. Some black people are better friends than white ones….but don’t try to make someone like you. If people of different races group together, don’t try to join in unless invited…..it’s OK to be proud of your color and stay with your color. I have always admired the Indians because they have always tried to stay with their race… Yes, I was born before the days of intergration, yet, I have never felt hatred for black people, and neither has any family members. My people worked in the cotton fields during the depression and then in Cotton Mills in the South, yet we have overcome that with hard work, our children are professionals now and we are proud of them..To keep our minds on racism is just a waste of life, enjoy your life as the person God made you to be..
The Duke woman should be charged to the fullest extent of the law. It wasn’t even the first time she did it! Reparations is the biggest joke I’ve ever heard. Would you like to sift through mountains of genealogical papers to trace who owned whom back then? Is it necessary? No, it isn’t, and I’m black. Affirmative action is a joke as well, how about being hired on qualifications and who is best for the job instead of me getting a free ride to wealth for being black? Its called working hard to get to the top, the American dream. My ancestors came here by force, and they worked hard to free my people each day. Now I see my brothers and sisters trashing all of that by crying “racist” to our white brothers and sisters. We need to stop thinking about it as white and black, and start thinking about life as Americans, not African Americans, not European Americans, but Americans. Grow up, stop hating, and work hard to get where you are. Welfare should be abolished, I don’t want my tax dollars going to some crack dealer on the street who is using to fund his illegal business. It’s wrong! Now injured veterans or people without a job is a completely different story. This country is full of holes.