The Case of the Jena Six

A friend of ours has told us about a case in Louisiana that is shocking and I hope some of you will look into. There is some urgency: on Monday a black high school student could be sentenced to decades in jail for . . . well, it’s not clear. What we do know is that some of he black students in Jena High School (Jena, Louisiana, central part of the state) sat under what is known there as the “white tree”—where the white students sit. That led to a fight and an seriously injured white student. The six black students are charged with attempted murder. Oh, I didn’t mention that the day after the black students sat under the white tree three nooses were found hanging from it.

Local officials call the nooses a prank. An all-white jury convicted 17-year-old Mychal Bell after a two-day “trial.” He will be sentenced on Monday.

To learn more go to: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070307B.shtml

Also: www.demoncracynow.org

You can find an online petition at : www.petitiononline.com/aZ51CqmR/petition.html

For information on faith-based social justice groups you may want to contact, see http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=get_connected.directory (Sojourners). Actions are planned around the country.

There has not been much national coverage of this case (there are five other young black people yet to be tried), but some of us have tried to stir up interest.

Please do what you can to bring pressure to bear on the Louisiana officials involved. The Executive Director of the Louisiana Chapter of The American Civil Liberties Union calls the case one of obvious racial discrimination. The area, he says, is a racial powder keg. Does anyone know of Episcopal or other leaders in Central or other parts of Louisiana who can look into what’s happening?