The remnants of racism and hatred are some of the unfortunate legacies of American history with a bitter aftertaste. For most of us, we live under the illusion that those societal ills faded with time, but occasionally we wake up to the reality checks; and the story of the ‘Jena 6’ is one of such.
Six black youths are charged with an alleged attack on a white student and in the absence of real justice (like the one America stands for); these young men will spend the next 50 years behind bars. This happened in Jena, Louisiana; and Im not replaying a scene from 'Mississipi Burning.'
. . And just before you take a deep breath to ignore the rest of the facts of the story, imagine yourself, or even worse your sons in their shoes. It could very well be you or your son or your brother stuck in an alleged racial legal circus that could bring their lives to a complete halt.
“It all began at Jena High School last summer when a black student, Kenneth Purvis, asked the school's principal whether he was permitted to sit under the shade of the school courtyard tree, a place traditionally reserved for white students only. He was told he could sit where he liked.
The following morning, when the students arrived at school, they found three nooses dangling from the tree. Most whites in Jena dismissed it as a tasteless prank, but the minority black community identified the gesture as something far more vicious.”
According Caseptla Bailey, one of the black community leaders "it meant the KKK, it meant 'niggers we're going to kill you, we're gonna hang you 'til you die'."
For the record, Jena has a mixed community, 85% white and 12% black; no wonder a racially charged gesture of this nature sparks such controversy.
“District Attorney Reed Walters, to the astonishment of the black community, has upgraded the charges of Mr. Barker's alleged attackers to conspiracy to commit second degree murder and attempted second degree murder. If convicted they could be 50 before they leave prison. “
Americans of all races and color are voicing their outrage on ‘Jena justice’. It is sad to fathom the idea that the toil and blood of the civil rights era and the nationwide protests of the 1960’s did not wipe all the traces of racism and ethnic injustice outright.
I seldom read emails forwarded from unknown senders, but I took the time to read one of such, I did my homework on what the facts were; and chances are if nothing happens soon, the lives of six black young men will fall through the unfortunate cracks of the American justice.
Visit the ColorOfChange website and join the national campaign to make a difference. www.ColorOfChange.org
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