The Jena 6

On December 4, 2006, a series of racially motivated events that started when two or more nooses were hung from a tree on school grounds culminated with the beating of a teenager by six of his peers. Unfortunately, such an event would have little national coverage if not for the fact that the victim was white and his aggressors were black.

Mychal Bell, one of the six, previously faced an attempted murder charge; however he has been released on bail after waiting more than 10 months in prison. In addition, LeSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters has now confirmed Bell will no longer be charged as an adult. Rather than being tried for attempted murder, Bell now faces charges of aggravated second-degree battery in juvenile court.

The series of events began on August 31, 2006 when a black male freshman requested permission to sit under a tree in a spot usually occupied by white students. The principal responded by telling the students that they were allowed to “sit wherever they wanted.” However, the next morning, two or more nooses (accounts differ) were hanging from the tree.

After that, the situation began to dissolve. Upon learning which students were responsible, the principal recommended expulsion; however, the school board overruled him. According to the Associated Press, the students responsible were sent to an alternative school for one month and then placed on in-school suspension for a further two weeks.

In the following months, a number of related events continued to occur, starting with a number of racially motivated fights, an as-yet unidentified arsonist, and an incident at a local convenience store involving a white student threatening several black students with a shotgun.

Finally, the events led to six black students-now known as the Jena 6-beating a white classmate. During the fight, the white student was kicked repeatedly and knocked to the ground. According to the only adult witness, Bell did not take part in the attack; however, the district attorney states that Bell was the one to knock the white student down.

During the proceedings, a number of demonstrations have taken place citing racial discrimination in how Bell’s case was handled. An online petition calling for a review of the case has been circulating and received 428,560 signatures as of this past Thursday. In addition, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People has established a fund to help cover attorney fees. One notable donation was $10,000 given by musician David Bowie who stated, “There is clearly a spate and unequal judicial process going on in the town of Jena. A donation to the Jena Six Legal Defense Fund is my small gesture indicating my belief that a wrongful charge and sentence should be prevented.”