When you read about the Jena 6, it feels like you must be reading about something that happened more than 50 years ago before the Civil Rights Movement. It's hard to believe that it is happening in 2007.

There is some good news, but the battle is not over yet.

Background Info for those of you not yet familiar with the Jena 6

The Jena 6 incident started at Jena High School when some black students sat under a tree that had been traditionally reserved the white students. The next day, nooses painted with the school colors were hung from the tree. The students responsible for hanging the nooses were expelled but the School Superintendent later reversed their expulsions referring to the noose hangings as a “prank.”

After this incident the District Attorney took no action in response to violence and threats against black students including an incident in which white students ganged up on a black student at a party and beat him. But, when some black students beat up a white student who had racially taunted the black student who had been beaten at the party, they were charged with second-degree attempted murder. This, even though the white student merely suffered some facial cuts and bruises and attended a party the same evening.

One of the black students, Mychal Bell, was found guilty by an all-white jury and a white judge of aggravated second-degree battery, a felony conviction subject to up to 15 years of prison time.

The good news

The good news is that Mychal Bell's conviction has just been vacated.
Louisiana's 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals, acting on an emergency defense appeal, reversed Bell's conviction on the grounds that he should not have been tried as an adult. The local District Attorney now has to decide whether to refile the case in juvenile court. And, the trials of the other students have not yet started.

Clearly pressure put to bear has had good results so we need to keep the pressure on.

If you need more information about what is going on in Jena where 6 black students have been charged with second-degree murder, please take a look at thev youtube video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuoiZnr4jLY

You can take action by signing a petition in support of the Jena 6 at www.colorofchange.org/jena as well as sharing this information with others.

Deb