ASSI - Justice is suppose to be blind, but when it comes to African Americans, justice is not only blind the scales are also unbalanced. September 1, 2007 is the one year anniversary of Jena 6, a racially charged incident at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana. Black students wanted to sit under a tree located in a designated White area of the school. Three nooses, two Black and one White (the school colors) hung from the tree. Black students staged an impromptu protest under the tree, the police were called, and it is reported that the District Attorney threaten to change the lives of Black students with a stroke of a pen. Six Black male students were arrested and charged with attempted-murder after a school yard fight left a White male student unconscious with multiple bruises.
Since the noose hanging incident several racially motivated crimes against Blacks have transpired in Jena. A Black male student was assaulted by a White adult as he entered a party at the predominately White Fair Barn, a social establishment. An academic wing was destroyed during a fire a Jena High School. A White male who was involved in the assault pulled a pump-action shotgun on three Black teens as they were leaving a local convenient store. No charges have been filled against the White students for the Noose incident it was merely a prank and not a hate crime. For further information and to lend your support click on Jena 6. When I heard about this story, I wanted to know more, but the more I learned the more perplexed I became. I wondered why I was unfamiliar with the story, I had not heard about via radio, t.v. or my local paper. However, on the same day the story was shared with me, I tuned into the Michael Baisden Radio Show, and Michael was speaking out about this case. Michael was displeased with the facts and outcomes of this case, he wondered why the African American community was not rallying together behind this case and others.
According to Michael, he was headed to Jena, Louisiana for a peaceful demonstration to support the release of the Jena six. A rally is scheduled for September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana; Michael reached out to Steve Harvey, Tom Joyner, and Russ Paar for a collaborative live broadcast from Jena. If you are unable to personally attend the rally, you can lend your support by wearing Black on 09/20/07. The charges against the Jena 6 was reduced from attempted-murder to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery, which together carry a maximum of 22 years in prison. Although the Caucasian student, who was knocked unconscious, testified that he was hit from behind, and unaware of who struck him, an all White jury convicted Mychal Bell, a promising football star of all charges. The other five are awaiting trail. As I see it justice needs to take off the blind fold for better insight on how to properly balance the scale.
