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{{Current court case|date=September 2007}}
Last December, six black students at Jena High School were arrested after a school fight in which a white student suffered a minor concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy. They face up to 100 years in prison without parole. The Jena Six, as they have come to be known, range in age from 15 to 17 years old.
The '''Jena Six''' refers to a group of six [[African American|black]] teenagers who have been charged with the beating of Justin Barker, a [[European American|white]] teenager at Jena High School in [[Jena, Louisiana|Jena]], [[Louisiana]], [[United States]], on [[December 4]], [[2006]]. Barker was beaten unconscious in the attack. The beating followed a number of racially-charged incidents in the town, notably when three white students hung nooses from a tree at Jena High school following a black student asking if he could sit under the tree. Barker was not involved in the noose-hanging incident, which occurred 3 months before he was beaten.
The Jena Six case has sparked protests, in Jena and elsewhere, by those who believe that the arrests and the subsequent charges were excessive and racially discriminatory, alleging a lack of appropriate disciplinary action, arrests and/or serious charges against white youths in Jena in earlier incidents in the town. U.S. Attorney Donald Washington — an African American and a Bush appointee<ref name="usdoj">{{cite web|url=http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/law/usattorney/index.html|title=Western District of Louisiana - United States Attorney}}</ref> — who led an investigation into events in the town, has concluded that there is no evidence of unfair prosecution.<ref name="farwell"/>


Mychal Bell, the only member of the "Jena Six" to be tried so far, has had his convictions set aside. Bell was originally charged with attempted murder, but the charges were subsequently reduced and he was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy. Both convictions were overturned on the grounds that the defendant should have been tried as a juvenile, not as an adult, on the reduced charges.<ref name="premature">{{cite web |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/law/09/19/jena.six/ |title=Court: It's 'premature' to consider motion to release Jena 6 defendant |accessdate=2007-09-23| publisher=CNN}}</ref><ref name="farwell">{{cite web|url=http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/092007dnmetjenasetup.3645e08.html|title=North Texans marching behind 6 young men in Jena|accessdate=2007-09-20|author=Scott Farwell}}</ref><ref name="overturn"/> Bell was incarcerated for almost 10 months, before being released on [[September 27]], [[2007]], after bail was posted on his behalf. Bell's retrial is scheduled for [[December 6]] [[2007]].
Just over a week ago, an all-white jury took less than two days to convict 17 year-old Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena Six to go on trial. He was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy charges and now faces up to 22 years in prison.

Black residents say that race has always been an issue in Jena, which is 85 percent white, and that the charges against the Jena Six are no exception.

The origins of the story can be traced back to early September when a black high school student requested permission to sit under a tree in the schoolyard where usually only white students sat. The next day three nooses were found hanging from the tree.


On [[October 11]] [[2007]] District Judge J.P. Mauffrey Jr. revoked Bell's probation for his four previous juvenile convictions ruling that he had violated his probation (Bell had been placed on probation prior to the Jena Six incident). Bell was sentenced to 18 months in jail on two counts of simple battery and two counts of criminal destruction of property unrelated to Jena 6 beating.


==Events in Jena: August 2006 - December 2006==
==Events in Jena: August 2006 - December 2006==

Revision as of 20:11, 22 October 2007

Template:Current court case The Jena Six refers to a group of six black teenagers who have been charged with the beating of Justin Barker, a white teenager at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, United States, on December 4, 2006. Barker was beaten unconscious in the attack. The beating followed a number of racially-charged incidents in the town, notably when three white students hung nooses from a tree at Jena High school following a black student asking if he could sit under the tree. Barker was not involved in the noose-hanging incident, which occurred 3 months before he was beaten.

The Jena Six case has sparked protests, in Jena and elsewhere, by those who believe that the arrests and the subsequent charges were excessive and racially discriminatory, alleging a lack of appropriate disciplinary action, arrests and/or serious charges against white youths in Jena in earlier incidents in the town. U.S. Attorney Donald Washington — an African American and a Bush appointee[1] — who led an investigation into events in the town, has concluded that there is no evidence of unfair prosecution.[2]

Mychal Bell, the only member of the "Jena Six" to be tried so far, has had his convictions set aside. Bell was originally charged with attempted murder, but the charges were subsequently reduced and he was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy. Both convictions were overturned on the grounds that the defendant should have been tried as a juvenile, not as an adult, on the reduced charges.[3][2][4] Bell was incarcerated for almost 10 months, before being released on September 27, 2007, after bail was posted on his behalf. Bell's retrial is scheduled for December 6 2007.

On October 11 2007 District Judge J.P. Mauffrey Jr. revoked Bell's probation for his four previous juvenile convictions ruling that he had violated his probation (Bell had been placed on probation prior to the Jena Six incident). Bell was sentenced to 18 months in jail on two counts of simple battery and two counts of criminal destruction of property unrelated to Jena 6 beating.

Events in Jena: August 2006 - December 2006

Noose hangings at Jena High School

Jena High School

At Jena High School, about 10% of enrolled students are black and more than 85% are white. Early reporting asserted that students of different races seldom sat together, although this has been disputed.[5] According to early reports, black students typically sat on bleachers near the auditorium, while white students sat under a large tree, referred to as the "white tree" or "prep tree", in the center of the school courtyard.[6] However, according to some teachers and administrators at the school, the tree in question wasn't a "white tree", and students of all races sat under it at one time or another.[5]

A school assembly was held on August 31, 2006. According to media reports, a black male freshman asked the principal whether he could sit under the "white tree".[7] According to Donald Washington — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana[1] — the principal stated that the question was posed in a "jocular fashion".[8] The principal told the students they could "sit wherever they wanted."Cite error: A <ref> tag is missing the closing </ref> (see the help page).

The following morning, nooses were discovered hanging from the tree. Initial reports differ whether there were three[6] — believed by some to be code for the Ku Klux Klan[5] — or two.[5] Among other sources, a chronology of the events published in The Jena Times reported it as being two nooses found that day.[9] A black teacher described seeing both white and black students "playing with [the nooses], pulling on them, jump-swinging from them, and putting their heads through them."[5] According to The Jena Times, the nooses were removed by 7:15 a.m. after school officials were informed.[9]

Repercussions

The school disciplinary process which followed is unclear. It has been reported that Jena's principal learned that three white students were responsible and recommended expulsion, that the board of education overruled his recommendation, and that school superintendant Roy Breithaupt agreed with the overruling. It was initially reported that the punishment was reduced to three days of in-school suspension.[6][10] According to Breithaupt, however, the three students were isolated at an alternative school for nine days, spent two weeks on in-school suspension, served Saturday detentions, had to attend Discipline Court, were referred to Families in Need of Services, and had to have an evaluation before they were able to return to school as part of the district's Crises Management Policy Procedures.[11]

The school superintendent was quoted as saying, "Adolescents play pranks. I don't think it was a threat against anybody."[12] Black residents of Jena have stated that this decision stoked racial tensions, in their view leading to subsequent events.[10]

On July 31, 2007 the school had the tree cut down.[13] "School's about to start," Billy Fowler, a new school board member said. "We don't want the blacks coming back up there looking at the tree knowing what happened, or the whites. We just want to start fresh." According to Fowler, the tree would have had to have been cut down to make way for the rebuilding of the school after an act of arson that had occurred on November 30.

Others felt that cutting down the tree wasn't an effective way to address any problems of racism in Jena. "Cutting down that beautiful tree won't solve the problem at hand," said Caseptla Bailey, local NAACP president and mother of Robert Bailey Jr., one of the six black teens. "It still happened." [14]

U.S. Attorney Donald Washington stated that the FBI agents who investigated the incident and the federal officials who examined it found that the hanging of the nooses "had all the markings of a hate crime." However, it could not be prosecuted as such because it failed to meet federal standards required for the teens to be certified as adults.[15] District Attorney Walters stated that Washington had found no federal statute under which the teens could be prosecuted, just as he had found no applicable state statute."[16] Walters stated of those who hung the nooses: "The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town."[17]

In late July 2007, Washington noted that of the more than 40 statements taken regarding the assault, none mentioned the noose incident.[8] La Salle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters claimed there was no linkage between the noose incident and the beating. "When this case was brought to me and during our investigation and during the trial, there was no such linkage ever suggested. This compact story line has only been suggested after the fact."[15]

District attorney addresses the school assembly

Police were called to the school several times in the days after the noose incident in response to a rash of interracial fights between students.[8] The principal took action by calling an impromptu assembly on September 6, 2006, in which students segregated themselves into white and black sections. The Jena Police Department asked La Salle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters to attend and speak at the assembly. Allegedly, Walters was unhappy with the request because he was busy preparing for a case and, upon arrival, felt that the students were not paying proper attention to him.[8] Walters stated that he warned the students saying: "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. With the stroke of a pen I can make life miserable on you or ruin your life. So I want you to call me before you do something stupid."[18] Though black students state Walters was looking at them when he made the comments, Walters and school board member Billy Fowler, also present, deny it.[6]

Students attempt to address school board

On September 10, 2006, black students attempted to address the school board concerning the recent events but were refused because the board was of the opinion that the noose incident had been adequately resolved.[19]

Jena High School arson

On November 30 2006, a wing of the main building of the high school was set on fire. That portion of the building was gutted and had to be later demolished.[6][20] While arson was determined to be the cause, the arsonists have never been identified.

On October 20, 2007, LaSalle Parish voters narrowly turned down a sales tax increase intended to fund several school projects, including the reconstruction of the main building of Jena High School.[21]

Fair Barn party fight

The "Gotta Go" convenience store in Jena, Louisiana.

On Friday, December 1, 2006, there was a private party, attended mostly by whites but with some blacks, at the Jena Fair Barn.[9] Five black youths, including 16-year-old Robert Bailey, Jr., attempted to enter the party at about 11 p.m. According to U.S. Attorney Washington, they were told by a woman that no one was allowed inside without an invitation. The five youths persisted, stating that some friends were already in attendance at the party. A nigger man,Cadarrius who was not a student, then jumped in front of the woman and a fight ensued. After the fight broke up, the woman told both the white man and five black youths to leave the party. Once outside, the black students were involved in another fight with a group of white men, who were not students.[8] Police were called to investigate. Justin James-Epps, a white male, was charged with simple battery for his role in the fight and was put on probation. Bailey later stated that one of the white men broke a beer bottle over his head,[10] but there were no official records of Bailey receiving medical treatment.[8]

Convenience store incident

On Saturday, December 2 2006, another incident involving Bailey occurred at a local convenience store. A white student who had attended the Fair Barn party encountered Bailey and several friends. Reports from the involved parties are conflicting.[8] Local police reported that the accounts of the white student and black students contradicted each other and formed a report based on testimony taken from eyewitnesses. The white student alleged that Bailey and his friends chased him, that he ran to get his gun, and that the students wrestled it away from him. According to the black students, as they left the convenience store, they were confronted by the white student with a shotgun. They stated they wrestled the gun away from him and fled the scene. After hearing from an uninvolved witness of unspecified race, the police charged Bailey and two others with three counts: theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery, and disturbing the peace. The white student who produced the weapon was not charged.[6][8]

The attack on Barker

On December 4, 2006, 17-year-old Justin Barker, a white Jena High School student, was assaulted at school. According to court documents, someone hit Barker from behind, knocking him out, and then others began to kick and stomp his "lifeless" body. He spent about three hours in a local emergency room for treatment of injuries to his head and face.[22]

Superintendent Breithaupt stated that the attack was no ordinary schoolyard fight. "It was a premeditated ambush and attack by six students against one," Breithaupt said. "The victim attacked was beaten and kicked into a state of bloody unconsciousness."[23]

According to relatives of the accused, the six defendants have all been expelled from school.[24]

Barker's injuries

A doctor treated Barker at the local hospital emergency room. He was released after three hours of treatment and observation for a concussion and an eye that had swollen shut.[10] The emergency physician's record shows that he also had injuries to his face, ears and hand.[25] He was able to attend his school's Ring ceremony that evening,[10] though he later testified, "I waited 11 years to go to it. I wasn't going to let that get in my way," and that he ended up leaving early due to pain.[26]

During the trial, Barker also testified that his face was badly swollen after the attack and that he suffered a loss of vision in one eye for three weeks. He also stated that he suffered recurring headaches and forgetfulness[27] since the attack, though medical tests have not isolated the cause.[26] A nurse testified that Barker had a previous history of migraines.[27]

The police arrested the six students, eventually dubbed the "Jena Six", accused of the attack.[28] Five of them (Robert Bailey, Jr., then 17; Mychal Bell, then 16; Carwin Jones, then 18; Bryant Purvis, then 17; and Theo Shaw, then 17) were charged with attempted second-degree murder.[9] The sixth student, Jesse Ray Beard, was charged as a juvenile because he was 14 at the time.[29]

Mychal Bell, aged sixteen at the time of the incident, was charged as an adult.[4] The district attorney has stated that he did so due to Bell's criminal record and because he believed Bell initiated the attack.[30]

Mychal Bell proceedings

On June 26, 2007, the first day of trial for defendant Mychal Bell, Walters reduced the charges for Bell to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery.[31] A charge of aggravated battery requires the use of a "deadly weapon". Walters therefore argued that the tennis shoes that Bell was wearing and used to kick Barker with were deadly weapons, an argument with which the all white jury ultimately agreed.[32] A number of witnesses testified that they saw Bell strike Barker, while other witnesses were unsure Bell was involved.[32] Public defender Blane Williams, himself a black man, had urged Bell to accept a plea bargain, did not challenge the composition of the jury pool, and rested the defense case without calling any witnesses.[32]

Coach Benjy Lewis, the only adult witness to the incident, stated that another student, Malcolm Shaw, was the initial attacker,[33] and was only able to positively identify one other student, not Bell.[22] Lewis was not called to testify in Bell's trial.[33]

All six members of the jury were white. Although the 150-person jury call included black citizens, who make up ten percent of the parish's population,[5] none of the 50 potential jurors who showed up were black.[29][5] It has been reported that one of the seated jurors was a high school friend of the victim's father.[34]

The jury found Bell guilty, and he faced the possibility of up to 22 years in prison. The judge scheduled sentencing for September 20, 2007. Following the trial, Bell's new defense attorneys, Louis Scott and Carol Powell-Lexing, requested a new trial on the grounds that Bell should not have been tried as an adult and that the trial should have been held in another parish.[35] A request to lower Mychal Bell's $90,000 bond was denied on August 24, 2007, due to his juvenile record. Bell had been put on probation for a battery that occurred December 25, 2005, and he was subsequently convicted of another battery charge and two charges of criminal damage to property while still on probation.[36] Sources told ESPN that one of the battery charges was for punching a 17-year-old girl in the face,[37] although details of the conviction might be protected under the Louisiana Children's Code.[38]

On September 4, 2007,[39] a judge dismissed the conspiracy charge on the grounds that he should have been tried as a juvenile, but let the battery conviction stand.[3] However, on September 14, 2007, Louisiana's Third Circuit Court of Appeals overturned Bell's battery conviction, also ruling that the remaining charge was not among those for which a juvenile may be tried as an adult.[4]

Following an order by the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal,[40] a hearing was held on September 21, 2007, to determine whether to set bond for Bell.[41] The judge in the hearing denied the request for Bell to be freed while his appeal is being reviewed.[42] A motion by Bell's attorneys to have Judge J.P. Mauffrey recused was also denied.[43]

On September 26, 2007, Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco announced that the prosecution would not appeal the appellate ruling, but would try Bell as a juvenile.[44] Walters confirmed this on the 27th,[23] and Bell was then released on $45,000 bond.[30]

Bell was bonded out once $5,400 was paid to Cut-Rate Bail Bonding by Dr. Stephen Ayers of Lake Charles, Louisiana.[45] Bell was subject to electronic monitoring and was under the supervision of a probation officer.

On October 11 2007, Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. found that Bell had violated the terms of his probation for previous convictions. The judge then sentenced Bell to 18 months in a juvenile facility on two counts of simple battery and two counts of criminal destruction of property, and Bell was taken into custody. According to Walters, the matter was unrelated to the assault on Barker, and it was not even mentioned during the proceedings. Bell's attorney plans to appeal.[46]

Bell's retrial in the Barker assault is scheduled for December 6, 2007.[47]

The other five

On September 4, 2007, charges against Carwin Jones and Theo Shaw were reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy,[48] as were those of Robert Bailey, Jr., on September 10.[49]

Despite the overturning of Mychal Bell's conviction, the charges against the other four teenagers remained unaffected because they were over seventeen at the time of the incident, thus making them adults under Louisiana law.[4]

Public response

The case has brought a public response from those alleging that the charges against the Jena Six were disproportionate and racially motivated. Supporters of the Jena Six circulated online petitions, raised money for legal defense, and held a demonstration in Jena on September 20, 2007.[50] Critics have contended that the supporters are making heroes of, and giving rock star treatment to those who were involved in a brutal assault.

Rallies

Talk show host Michael Baisden and the Rev. Al Sharpton at the front of the September 20 2007 march on Jena, Louisiana.

Rallies in support of the Jena Six and all blacks in the United States who have been unfairly treated by the justice system were held in Jena and elsewhere in the United States on September 20 2007,[51] the date when Bell was scheduled for sentencing.[52] Because of the rallies' large expected size (estimates were up to 40,000 to 60,000)[53] Jena High and schools on the south side of La Salle Parish were closed.[54]

An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 demonstrators eventually attended the rally that day severely overtaxing the facilities of the small town of 3,000 residents. Because of the gridlock on the roads leading to Jena, many protesters got off their transports and walked into town on foot.[40] Among those in attendance were civil rights activists Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King III,[55] rappers Mos Def[56] and Salt-n-Pepa, and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin.[57] Rapper-actor Ice Cube, who also attended,[58] funded buses to bring protesters from California.[59] Darryl Hunt, an African-American who was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of a young white newspaper reporter in 1984, was scheduled to be a keynote speaker.[60]

The demonstrators were addressed by Darryl Matthews, General President of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, who stated "It is sobering to know that in 2007 Martin Luther King’s dream of equal treatment, respect, fairness and opportunity is still not realized."[61]

In a backlash against the demonstrations, several self described white supremacists also attended the rally. Former Ku Klux Klan leader David Duke has publicly given support for Jena's "white residents". Duke obtained a majority of the vote in Jena for his unsuccessful bid for Governor during the 1991 Louisiana gubernatorial election.[62] However, in 2007, Bobby Jindal ran better in LaSalle Parish (55%) than he did statewide (53%) to become Louisiana's first non-white governor since Reconstruction.[21]

Petitions

Multiple online petitions have circulated calling for various actions in response to the Jena Six case. A petition created by Thomas McNamara, which encouraged the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the case, gathered more than 441,514 signatures as of October 18 2007.[63] Another petition created by online advocacy group ColorOfChange called for District Attorney Walters to drop all charges and for Governor Kathleen Blanco to investigate his conduct.[64] The ColorOfChange petition had received 312,880 signatures as of October 18, 2007. A third petition, sponsored by the NAACP and asking Louisiana state officials to investigate the case, has obtained more than 175,000 signatures as of the same date.[65]

A legal defense fund was established to pay attorney and other fees for the Jena Six. ColorOfChange raised more than $170,000, largely through online donations. [66]

In soliciting money for the fund, the NAACP noted on its website, in a section labeled "The Facts" that "On Monday, December 4 2006, a white student who allegedly had been racially taunting black students in support of the students who hung the nooses got into a fight with black students."[67]

Threats and harassment

On September 22, 2007, the FBI opened an investigation of a white supremacist website that listed the addresses of five of the Jena Six and the telephone numbers of some of their families "in case anyone wants to deliver justice." According to an FBI spokeswoman, the website "essentially called for their lynching." The site is registered to William A. "Bill" White of Roanoke, Virginia, who claims to be the commander of the American National Socialist Workers Party.[68]

Al Sharpton has stated that some of the families have continuously received threatening and harassing phone calls.[68]

Media coverage

Initial coverage

The Jena 6 were initially largely ignored by the traditional press.[69][70] The first story on the case ran on May 9 in Left Turn, a small alternative news magazine. [71] The story prompted a report on the BBC program This World on May 24. On July 3, Bill Quigley wrote an article for the website Truthout, which generated more attention from the alternative press.[72] The first mainstream media outlet to cover the matter was the Chicago Tribune, whose correspondent, Howard Witt, was given the story by Alan Bean, a Texas minister and the creator of Friends of Justice, an advocacy group[73].

Widespread coverage

The case began to receive extensive media coverage in September 2007, both from news reporters and columnists. Michael J. Copps, a Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission noted in a letter to the Washington Post the role of black radio talk show hosts in publicizing the Jena 6 case, and went on to criticize what he sees as a low rate of minority ownership of commercial broadcast television and radio stations. Commissioner Copps wrote that many people of color felt that their concerns were being overlooked by "Big Media".[74]

Many of the news reports from Jena have evoked the Civil Rights Movement,[75] made references to lynching,[75] or evoked Jim Crow.[75]

Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post wrote that Black talk radio played an important role in spreading word about the Jena Six.[76] Michael Baisden, whose afternoon drive-time radio show is heard in urban markets across the country was among the first to launch a crusade on behalf of the Jena 6. The story was then taken up by other black radio hosts, morning show host Tom Joyner, comedian Steve Harvey, and the Rev. Al Sharpton. During the protests both Joyner and Harvey shows featured live updates from the scene.[76]

Some sources have pointed out inaccurate reporting by the media. The Associated Press published an article noting the various reporting errors that were made in early stages of the story.[5] Based on this, MTV posted a retraction for incorrect information that it had reported on the case from other news sources.[77]

In an opinion piece, columnist Jason Whitlock indicated that the initial publicity (including the compact story that the noose incident triggered the other incidents, culminating in the beating) surrounding the Jena Six case was the result of serious distortions by Bean, who gave his version of events to several media outlets and bloggers.[18]

Columnists and editorials

Columnists criticizing the U.S. criminal justice system, within the context of the Jena Six case, have cited the Urban League's 2005 State of Black America report, which states that the average black male convicted of aggravated assault (the charge against the Jena Six) serves 48 months in prison, one third longer than a comparable white man. That report also stated that a black male who is arrested is three times more likely to go to prison than a white male convicted of the same crime.[75][78][79][80][81]

Controversial writer, former Black Panther Party activist and convicted murderer Mumia Abu-Jamal opined that media "coverage, such as it was, was little more than a platform to allow local Jenites to exclaim how they weren't racists, and that nooses are just 'pranks' used by young'uns to have a little fun. . . . How is it possible in the U.S. today for people wearing KKK robes to always intone, 'I'm not a racist?'"[82]

Among the columnists feeling that the charges were appropriate was columnist and cartoonist Ted Rall, who noted, "Six against one isn't a schoolyard fight. . . . Kicking someone after they've passed out is attempted murder. Nothing Barker said, no matter how foul, can justify such a vicious assault by bullying jocks. This is the stuff of Columbine."[83]

Columnist Keith Pounds of The Times and Democrat claimed, "One thing we are not told is that the black and white students involved went through September, October and November of 2006 playing side by side on the same football team, and there were no problems."[84]

On September 28, 2007, the New York Times published an Op-Ed piece by District Attorney Reed Walters. Walters defended his decision not to bring hate crime charges against the three white students who hung the nooses. He also noted that due consideration should also be given to the victim of the attack, Barker and he believed that Bell was charged appropriately due to his past criminal record.[16]

Developments since September 20 rally

Songs about Jena

Multiple songs have been produced in response to the Jena Six case. Bomani Armah, who earlier in the year wrote the controversial internet single Read a Book, released a song called Jena 6. [85] John Mellencamp released a video for a song called "Jena", which got considerably more play in the media.[86] The song references the Jena Six and the chorus of the song is "Oh oh oh Jena, Oh oh oh Jena, Take your nooses down." The video juxtaposes scenes from Jena with shots of a black man in shackles, the Ku Klux Klan, and scenes from the civil rights movement, including police beatings and signs defending segregation. Martin Luther King Jr. and John F. Kennedy are also shown. Mellencamp stated that he decided to release the video because of the newsworthy subject matter of the song. Jena's mayor, Murphy R. McMillan, responded that the song inaccurately depicts the town as racist and unjust, and he called the video defamatory and inflammatory. Wrote McMillan, "To put the incident in Jena in the same league as those who were murdered in the 1960s cheapens their sacrifice and insults their memory."[87]

Discord among supporters

Louisiana Weekly has reported disputes among supporters of the Jena Six as to who should take the lead in media relations. According to the report, Al Sharpton has sought to limit the role of the NAACP, and sought to prevent them from being present at Bell's release from jail, prompting a sharp letter from the NAACP to Sharpton. The NAACP stated that it has seen a draft contract between Sharpton and Bell's mother, which caused them concern. At the same time, Alan Bean, while sidestepping the dispute, stressed his role in bringing the Jena Six to public attention.[88]

House Judiciary Committee hearing

On September 25, 2007, Representative John Conyers, Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, announced that he would hold congressional hearings on what he described as "the miscarriages of justice that have occurred in Jena, Louisiana," with the goal of pressuring the U.S. Department of Justice into taking what Chairman Conyers deems to be appropriate action.[89] On September 27, 2007, the Congressional Black Caucus called upon the Department of Justice to investigate possible Civil Rights violations in the Jena Six case, saying "This shocking case has focused national and international attention on what appears to be an unbelievable example of the separate and unequal justice that was once commonplace in the Deep South."[90]

The hearing took place on October 16, 2007, with Washington and Sharpton, among others, testifying. Walters was invited to testify but declined. Most Republican members of the committee declined to attend. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) exclaimed to Washington and other Justice Department officials, "Shame on you . . . As a parent, I'm on the verge of tears,"[91] and demanded, "I want to know what you're going to do to get Mychal Bell out of jail!" Washington responded that the federal government had a limited role to play in the matter.[92]

BET Hip Hop Awards appearance

Jones and Purvis attended the BET Hip Hop Awards in Atlanta on October 13, 2007 and presented the award for Video of The Year[93]. When the two defendants came out on stage, they were greeted by a standing ovation. Said comedian and emcee Katt Williams, "They don't look so tough, do they?" The two members delivered speeches thanking family, friends, the "Hip-Hop Nation," and those who came to Jena. Jones' parents, and the fathers of Bell and Shaw were in the audience.

According to Jones's mother, BET invited the families to come to the awards show "to get away for a relaxing weekend.". A spokesman for the LaSalle Parish District Attorney, said the defendants sought and received the court's permission before going to the event. The Town Talk, a regional Louisiana newspaper reports that, "criticism has been extensive" concerning the appearance. [94]

References

  1. ^ a b "Western District of Louisiana - United States Attorney".
  2. ^ a b Scott Farwell. "North Texans marching behind 6 young men in Jena". Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  3. ^ a b "Court: It's 'premature' to consider motion to release Jena 6 defendant". CNN. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  4. ^ a b c d "Court overturns conviction in Jena beating". MSNBC.com. 2007-09-14. Retrieved 2007-09-14. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Todd Lewan (2007-09-22). "Black and white becomes gray in La. town". The Associated Press.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Beating Charges Split La. Town Along Racial Lines" by Wade Goodwyn, All Things Considered for National Public Radio, 30 July 2007
  7. ^ Tom Mangold, (August 16, 2007). "'Stealth racism' stalks deep South". BBC News. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Abbey Brown (31 July 2007). "Official sought to clear up 'Jena Six' 'misinformation'". Alexandria-Pineville, Louisiana: The Town Talk. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); External link in |publisher= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ a b c d "Chronological Order of Events concerning "Jena Six"" (PDF). The Jena Times. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  10. ^ a b c d e Darryl Fears (4 August 2007). "La. Town Fells 'White Tree,' but Tension Runs Deep". The Washington Post. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  11. ^ Gannett News Service. "Black Panthers say they will patrol Jena". Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  12. ^ Howard Witt. "Racial demons rear heads". Retrieved 2007-09-04. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  13. ^ Eric L. Wesson. "Black America Unites Against Racism". Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  14. ^ Jena High's infamous 'noose' tree cut down By Abbey Brown, Louisiana Gannett News
  15. ^ a b "U.S. attorney: Nooses, beating at Jena High not related". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  16. ^ a b Reed Walters. "Justice in Jena". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-09-26. Cite error: The named reference "daoped" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  17. ^ Scott Farwell. "North Texans marching behind 6 young men in Jena". Retrieved 2007-10-03.
  18. ^ a b "Jena 6 case caught up in whirlwind of distortion, opportunism". Kansas City Star. Retrieved 2007-10-01. Cite error: The named reference "whitlock" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  19. ^ Elaine McKewon. "Jena Six Timeline". Bayou Buzz. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  20. ^ "Photo gallery of demolition". The Jena Times.
  21. ^ a b "Complete but unofficial returns from LaSalle Parish". The Town Talk. 2007-10-20. Retrieved 2007-10-21.
  22. ^ a b "Bell denied bond due to criminal history".
  23. ^ a b Doug Simpson. "DA won't challenge 'Jena 6' ruling". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  24. ^ "Thousands rally for 'Jena Six'". The Clarion-Ledger. 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-09-29. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ Abbey Brown. "Documents give details about fight". The Town Talk. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  26. ^ a b "Victim in Jena 6 case takes the stand". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-20.
  27. ^ a b "Black teen convicted in beating of white student". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-23.
  28. ^ Eliott C. McLaughlin & Susan Roesgen. "Residents: Nooses spark school violence, divide town". Retrieved 2007-09-04.
  29. ^ a b Abbey Brown (2007-09-17). "Jena hotels sell out in preparation for Thursday rally". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved 2007-09-17. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  30. ^ a b Doug Simpson (2007-09-27). "Jena 6 Teen Released on $45,000 Bail". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  31. ^ Mary Foster (27 June 2007). "Charges Reduced for Student in La. Fight". Associated Press via The Guardian. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  32. ^ a b c Witt, Howard (2007-06-29). "Louisiana teen guilty in school beating case; Witnesses provide conflicting testimony". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-07-16. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  33. ^ a b Tuala Williams. "What Went Wrong? The Trial of Mychal Bell of the Jena 6". The Dallas Examiner. Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  34. ^ Richard McCulloch (2007-08-29). "WAKE UP CALL: A Mother's Pain, A Nation's Shame: Revisiting the case of the Jena Six". Broward Times. Retrieved 2007-09-18. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ^ Mary Foster. "King calls for support for `Jena Six'". Retrieved 2007-08-19.
  36. ^ Abbey Brown. "'Jena Six' defendant's criminal history comes to light; bond denied". Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  37. ^ John Barr and Nicole Noren. "'Jena Six' controversy swirls around football star". ESPN. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  38. ^ "State Statutes on Juvenile Interagency Information and Record Sharing" (PDF). Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Retrieved 2007-09-28.
  39. ^ "Judge Reduces Charges in Jena 6 Case But Refuses to Overturn Mychal Bell Conviction". Retrieved 2007-09-06. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |Publisher= ignored (|publisher= suggested) (help)
  40. ^ a b "Thousands 'march for justice' in Jena, court orders hearing on teen". CNN.com. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  41. ^ "Bond hearing for Jena Six defendant". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  42. ^ "Bail denied for Jena suspect". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-21.
  43. ^ "Rally increases racial tension in Jena". The Shreveport Times. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  44. ^ Doug Simpson (2007-09-26). "Blanco: No challenge of 'Jena 6' ruling". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-27. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  45. ^ Abbey Brown (2007-09-28). "Jena Six teen released on bail". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-28. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  46. ^ Mary Foster (2007-10-12). "'Jena Six' teen Mychal Bell back in jail". Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-10-12. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  47. ^ Marisol Bello (2007-10-12). "'Jena Six' teen Mychal Bell back in jail". USA Today. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help); Check date values in: |date= (help); Text "http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/10/jena-6-teen-bac.html" ignored (help)
  48. ^ "Charges Reduced in 'Jena 6' Attack". Associated Press. 2007-09-04. Retrieved 2007-09-04. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  49. ^ "Another Charge Reduced in 'Jena 6' Case". Forbes.com. 2007-09-11. Retrieved 2007-09-11. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  50. ^ "Thousands March To Decry Treatment Of Jena Six". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-22.
  51. ^ Staff Writer (2007-09-20). "Rally for 'Jena Six' touted as new civil rights struggle". Columbia Daily Tribune. columbiatribune.com. Retrieved 2007-09-22. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  52. ^ Ian Munro (2007-09-17). "Louisiana town braces as black youth wins appeal". Retrieved 2007-09-18.
  53. ^ Marisol Bello. "'Jena Six' backers plan rally; verdict vacated". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2007-09-17.
  54. ^ "Jena-area schools to be closed during sentencing of Bell". Retrieved 2007-09-14.
  55. ^ "Protesters March in Support of Jena Six". NPR.org. 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  56. ^ "Mos Def Leads 'Jena Six' Protest". 2007-09-20. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  57. ^ "Jena streets were bustling with marchers". 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  58. ^ "Supporters of Jena Six march in pair of Louisiana towns". The (Alexandria, La.) Town Talk. 2007-09-21. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  59. ^ Carolyn Smith (2007-09-21). "Metro-east residents take part in rally for the Jena Six". bnd.com. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
  60. ^ Chad Tucker (2007-09-18). "Darryl Hunt Asked to Speak at 'Jena Six' Rally". FOX8 News. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
  61. ^ Woods, Monica (September 20, 2007). "We Demand Justice for the Jena 6!" (Press release). Monica Woods Public Relations. Retrieved 2007-09-22. The members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Incorporated have historically engaged in the struggle to uplift the downtrodden in their efforts to achieve the promise of social and economic parity described and prescribed in the pledge of allegiance to this great republic that declares liberty and justice for all.
  62. ^ Howard Witt (2007-09-24). "White supremacist backlash builds over Jena case". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  63. ^ Thomas McNamara. "Jena 6 Online Petition". Retrieved 2007-08-28.
  64. ^ ColorOfChange. "Justice for the Jena 6". Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  65. ^ NAACP. "Justice for Jena Petition". Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  66. ^ "Louisiana's Jena Six beating case galvanizes S.F.'s 'black MoveOn'". San Francisco Chronicle. 2007-09-19 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-19. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  67. ^ "NAACP LEADS RALLY ON JENA - SEPTEMBER 20, 2007". NAACP. Retrieved 2007-09-19.
  68. ^ a b Becky Bohrer (2007-09-22). "FBI Probes Anti-Jena 6 Web Page". The Associated Press. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
  69. ^ Blogs help drive Jena protest By Howard Witt, Chicago Tribune September 18, 2007
  70. ^ Media Ownership and the Jena 6
  71. ^ Jordan Flaherty. "Justice in Jena". Retrieved 2007-10-20.
  72. ^ http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070307B.shtml
  73. ^ Howard Witt Responds (indirectly) to Jason Whitlock
  74. ^ The Jena 6 and the Media
  75. ^ a b c d Talea Miller. "Jena Six Rally Highlights Racial Tensions". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  76. ^ a b Drive Time for the 'Jena 6' By Eugene Robinson Friday, September 21, 2007; Page A19. The Washington Post
  77. ^ Gil Kaufman (2007-09-24). "Jena Report Attempts To Sift Fact From Fiction; FBI Probes White-Supremacist Response". MTV. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  78. ^ Kim Landers. "Jena 6 case sparks anti-racism protest". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  79. ^ Gary Younge. "Apart from the noose, this is an everyday story of modern America". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  80. ^ Clarence Page. "Injustice is bigger than the 'Jena 6'". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  81. ^ Byron Williams. "Old-fashioned Southern justice in modern South". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  82. ^ Mumia Abu-Jamal (2007-10-10). "Before and beyond Jena". BayView. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
  83. ^ Ted Rall. "The Dream, Downscaled". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  84. ^ "Why many don't care about Jena 6". The Times and Democrat. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  85. ^ http://www.blackelectorate.com/articles.asp?ID=1997
  86. ^ (2007), "Jena" - Written by John Mellencamp, Mellencamp.com, Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
  87. ^ AP, " Mellencamp song about 'Jena Six' upsets mayor", CNN.com, 2007-10-06, Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
  88. ^ Louisiana Weekly, "With Jena 6's Mychal Bell back in jail, civil rights leaders engaged in power struggle", Louisiana Weekly, 2007-10-15, Retrieved on 2007-10-15.
  89. ^ Devlin Barrett. "Lawmakers Seek Jena 6 Teen's Release". Retrieved 2007-09-26.
  90. ^ Linda Young. "Congressional Black Caucus Calls For Justice Department To Investigate Jena 6 Case". Retrieved 2007-09-27.
  91. ^ Devlin Barrett. "Lawmakers Seek US Action in Jena 6 Case". Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  92. ^ Darryl Fears. "Lawmakers Seek Answers in 'Jena 6' Case". Retrieved 2007-10-16.
  93. ^ "Kanye West, Nelly, Common, Dr. Cornel West, MC Lyte, David Banner, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson, Lil' Wayne, Soulja Boy and Hurricane Chris, Among Others, Brought Style, Substance and Swagger to the BET HIP HOP AWARDS 2007". Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  94. ^ "Two of 'Jena Six' defendants present BET award". Retrieved 2007-10-19.
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