In September 2006, a group of African American high school students in Jena, Louisiana, asked the school for permission to sit beneath a "whites only" shade tree. There was an unwritten rule that blacks couldn't sit beneath the tree. The school said they didn't care where students sat. The next day, students arrived at school to see three nooses (in school colors) hanging from the tree. (Please note, the tree above is not the tree, but a tree at Jena High School.)

The boys who hung the nooses were suspended from school for a few days. The school administration chalked it up as a harmless prank, but Jena's black population didn't take it so lightly. Fights and unrest started breaking out at school. The District Attorney, Reed Walters, was called in to directly address black students at the school and told them all he could "end their life with a stroke of the pen."

Black students were assaulted at white parties. A white man drew a loaded rifle on three black teens at a local convenience store. (They wrestled it from him and ran away.) Someone tried to burn down the school, and on December 4th, a fight broke out that led to six black students being charged with attempted murder. To his word, the D.A. pushed for maximum charges, which carry sentences of eighty years. Four of the six are being tried as adults (ages 17 & 18) and two are juveniles.

Yesterday, I was in Jena for the first day of the trial for Mychal Bell, one of the Jena Six. The D.A., perhaps in response to public pressure, tried to get Bell to cop a plea. Bell refused, and today, jury selection began. After today, we'll know whether or not the case will be tried in front of an all-white jury. Jena's 85-percent white, and it remains to be seen whether or not the six can get a fair trial.

Both off-the-record and on, Jena residents told me racism is alive and well in Louisiana, and this is a case where it rose above the levee.

Melissa Bell on Monday, June 25th, outside LaSalle Parish Courthouse. Her son, Mychal Bell, was convicted of 2nd degree aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit same today for his role in a fight at Jena High School.

Keep in mind that when one of Mychal Bell's friends (one of the Jena Six still facing trial) had his head cracked open with a beer bottle at an all-white party a few nights before the school fight on Dec. 4th, his assailant received a "simple battery" charge.

In Louisiana, simple battery is a misdemeanor. Bell, who was convicted by an all-white jury, faces 20+ years in prison.

This is the "Gotta Go" in Jena, Louisiana. On December 2nd, 2006, one of the fights that followed the noose incident (and the burning of Jena Hig School) was here. Three black teens were in the store, including two of the Jena Six, and when they left, they were confronted by a white man with a loaded shotgun. The teens wrestled the gun from him and fled. The gun was later found in a car in the backyard of one of the Jena Six.

In court documents, I found this statement, from the gun owner, who tells a very different story:

"I drove up to the Gotta Go and started to walk in the store and saw three black males and one hollered 'we've got action'. I saw them running after me so I turned and sprinted to my truck and then got my gun out. RB, RS, and TS were wrestling for the gun. After wrestling the gun away, hitting me in the face, they ran behind the store. AC & the Gotta Go owners saw." The gun was a 12-guage Riot shotgun with a black laser sight on the side.

Theodore Shaw's son has been in prison for the last six months awaiting trial because the District Attorney charged him with attempted murder for a schoolyard fight, and set bail so high that his father can't get him out. Theodore's son (Theo) will probably be the second member of the Jena Six to go on trial later this summer, unless some kind of deal is reached.

It's unclear whether or not the DA will lessen Theo's charges, as he did with Mychal Bell who was found guilty last week of 2nd degree aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit same. All told, Theo will most likely be facing 20-80 years in prison.

I did a write-up explaining a bit about why I went to Jena on 2point8.

A lot's happened with the case of the Jena Six since the week of June 25th, when I visited the town, saw Day 1 of Mychal Bell's trial, and posted this picture and this photo story. Namely, the blogosphere has begun to steer bigger media outlets to begin paying attention to the case.

On July 5th, NPR did a long piece with story breaker Jordan Flaherty and Caseptla Bailey, mother of Robert Bailey, one of the Jena Six. Significantly, Democracy Now dedicated a full hour to the case on July 10th (1, 2), and spoke with families of the accused. The cornerstone of their story was footage from a forthcoming documentary by Big Noise Films.

On July 10th, two men were arrested after they ran over a sign outside a black church in Jena that had just held an NAACP meeting. The two have been charged with "criminal damage to property". On July 18th, following the Democracy Now coverage, Amy Goodman published an op/ed in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

Significantly, Alan Bean keeps the updates coming over on Friends of Justice, where he elaborates on the overall atmosphere that led to the fight for which the Jena Six have been charged. There's an online petition asking for the US Department of Justice to get involved. Colorofchange has launched an online letter writing campaign to Governor Blanco, and a Defense Committee has been formed. Donations can be sent here:

Jena 6 Defense Committee
PO BOX 2798
Jena, LA 71342

As far as I know, Bell's sentencing is still scheduled for July 31st. And later this summer, the trials for the other five.