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Jena
Six Case Shows Race Bias in the Justice System, and Media |
Posted:
09.28.07
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Lisa Vinson, a senior from Orlando, Fla., writes that the Jena
six were treated unfairly, while their white peers escaped punishment
for a hate crime.
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In what has been deemed a modern day civil rights movement, the
protest for the freedom of six African-American boys from the
small town of Jena, La., known as the "Jena six," has
achieved national coverage at unanticipated heights.
 Despite
the overwhelming lack of media coverage the story had originally
received, the news of what was deemed a racial injustice quickly
spread throughout the black community.
Many felt that the obvious lack of coverage was in itself proof
that injustice to minorities is not high on the priority list
for the media, or for anyone.
But the media is not necessarily to blame. They only select what
is "news-worthy" based on what has attracted readers
and viewers in the past and anything to do with minorities and
prison systems typically fall on deaf ears. Many in the black
community are questioning, had the situation been switched, would
it have received more coverage, or, better yet, would it have
even occurred.
The fact that the case went practically unnoticed for so long
obviously attests to the trend that minority problems are seen
as just that, minority problems. One thing, I believe, that made
this case different from any other was its obvious and blatant
racism. People of all races, when informed of the Jena six, all
raised the same question: "This is happening in America? Now?"
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The case |
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What began as tension among black and white students at a high
school, quickly escalated to a racial injustice against six teenagers.
According to reports, the incident began when a black student
asked his high school administration for permission to sit beneath
a tree that had historically been reserved for white students
only. It was the next day that the racially motivated spark was
ignited by the hanging of nooses from the tree by white students.
The nooses motivated a protest by black students beneath the
tree. Months of fights ensued after the "prank," as
the hanging of the nooses had been deemed by school officials.
This labeling of the event raised questions to African Americans.
Didn't deeming the nooses a prank make the centuries of lynching
and violence they represented one too? Furthermore, why wasn't
the obviously racist action deemed a hate crime and those responsible
charged? Authorities claim that an actual law was not broken by
the hanging of the nooses, which speaks for itself.
Months of unrest culminated in December 2006, with the arrest
of six black students for allegedly beating a white student unconscious.
Five of the six, all juveniles at the time of the fight, were
originally charged with 2nd degree attempted murder and conspiracy
to commit murder. They were also charged as adults.
The sixth, Mychal Bell, was charged and convicted of aggravated
second-degree battery and conspiracy. Bell, 16 at the time of
the crime, was facing up to 22 1/2 years in prison, and was scheduled
to be sentenced on Thursday September 20th.
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The reaction |
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The news of the case did not spread through the NAACP, ACLU or
any other national association advocating civil rights, but through
the Internet hangouts YouTube, Myspace, and Facebook. In the past
two months videos, comic strips, songs and "Free Jena Six"
headlines adorned profiles across the nation in protest of the
harsh and hasty judgment passed on the six teens.
Headed by everyday, ordinary people, a protest was organized
to take place in front of the Jena courthouse on the day of Bell's
sentencing. But what started with a few people became, over the
past nine months, a massive demonstration, composed of over 400,000
petition signers and tens of thousands of marchers from around
the country who protested through the small town.
Even those who were unable to make the distance supported the
cause by participating in a "black out" by wearing black
tee shirts.
In my high school, an absolute cultural melting pot, more than
80 percent of the black students and teachers came decked in all
black clothing with spray painted shirts.
However, it was painful to hear the clueless inquiries of students
and teachers of other races asking, "What's the Jena Six?"
When I actually saw the protest on the front of newspapers and
as the breaking news story, I could only say that it was about
time.
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New developments |
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In the last few weeks several changes have been made in the cases
of the young men, five of whom have yet to be tried. The judge
dropped the conspiracy charges because they were minors at the
time.
After spending several months in a federal prison, Bell is now
being retried as a juvenile, and he has been released from prison
on bail as of September 27. According to President Bush, the matter
of whether the six were unjustly arrested and charged is being
investigated by the FBI.
However, further outcry has been raised as the pictures, addresses
and phone numbers of the Jena Six which have found their way onto
Ku Klux Klan websites.
As for the hundreds of thousands standing behind the six young
men, they are expected to continue rallying until justice is achieved.
As Mychal Bell was released, after spending 10 months in prison,
he was received by a multitude of supporters, including the Reverend
Al Sharpton. His release should be called not a victory for black
America, but a victory for all of America.
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--Lisa
Vinson is a senior in high school from Orlando, Fla.
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After H1N1-related school closures in the last flu season, local schools have lowered the severity of their response and are focusing on preventative action that does not interrupt education.
