The Samford Crimson

Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: News

This photo of a t-shirt is a reoccurring image that served as a reminder to recognize the controversial Jena 6 trials.

Last fall, a black student who had recently moved to rural Jena, La. asked an assembly to sit underneath the unofficially named "white tree" at a high school that had re-created Jim Crow segregation. When given permission from the school principal, several black students then sat under the tree and caused a stir among some white students at the school.

The next day, three nooses were found dangling from the branches of the same tree, compliments of three white student on the rodeo team. An in-school suspension was issued, and the act was deemed a prank.

After the silent protest, several of the school's black football players sat under the tree in a silent protest, and the local District Attorney Reed Walters was called in. He made an announcement towards the blacks in the audience. "With a stroke of this pen, I can make your life disappear," he said.
No more trouble emerged until Nov. 30 when a wing of Jena High School was burned down. Fingers were pointed at both sides.

On Monday, Dec. 4, racial tensions were at a high when white student Justin Barker boasted in the school halls about a fight between a white and black student the day before. The result were charges of theft of a weapon, second-degree robbery and disturbing the peace against the black student. No penalty was imposed on the white student.

When Barker entered the courtyard, six black students attacked. The first punch left Barker unconscious and was accompanied by a few kicks to the head. He was released from the hospital two hours later and treated for a concussion and swollen eye. He attended a school ceremony later that night.
The black students were arrested and charged with aggravated assault. But Walters increased the charges to attempted second-degree murder.

Mychal Bell, then 16, was one of the six and was tried as an adult and convicted by an all-white jury. He faced 22 years in prison. After a public outcry, the charges were reduced to aggravated battery and conspiracy. The state 3rd Circuit Court of Appeal stated he never should have been charged as an adult.

Jena 6 proved that racism is still an issue. Senior english and history major Stephen Freer heard about the story on the radio.

Continued...

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