Racism in the Deep South – Jena 6 Travesty
Filed Under (Freakin Idiot!) by Amy on 09-11-2007
You might think that in the year 2007 things like a “tree just for white kids to sit under” wouldn’t exist in America. I know I certainly believed that to be true. Sadly, I was gravely mistaken. You see, that segregated tree – and town – does, indeed, exist today. That town is Jena, Louisiana, where a travesty of yesteryear’s proportions is being played out.
From the ColorOfChange website, here’s what sparked the injustices that are going on today:
Last fall in Jena, Louisiana, the day after two Black high school students sat beneath the “white tree” on their campus, nooses were hung from the tree. When the superintendent dismissed the nooses as a “prank,” more Black students sat under the tree in protest. The District Attorney then came to the school accompanied by the town’s police and demanded that the students end their protest, telling them, “I can be your best friend or your worst enemy… I can take away your lives with a stroke of my pen.”1
A series of white-on-black incidents of violence followed, and the DA did nothing. But when a white student was beaten up in a schoolyard fight, the DA responded by charging six black students with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
Much more has happened since those 6 black students were charged, the basic gist of it being these kids have been in jail with bail set so high they can’t get released, and the court cases are resulting in ridiculously long sentences with extremely shoddy public defenses. Please take the time to read the whole story to educate yourself on this outrageous, racist mess.
You can help. There is a peaceful march being held on September 20th in Jena. If you’re in that area, please consider participating. The kids need help for their legal funds, so if you are able, please consider donating. Another alternative is writing the Governor of Louisiana. Finally, please take a moment to sign the Jena 6 online petition requesting the Civil Rights Division of the US Department of Justice investigate this matter.
Consider blogging about this to help spread the word. Marisa and Suni have started an online blogging drive to raise awareness in the blogging community about this horrible injustice.
Thanks, Amy! I love you, babe!
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Sad but there is a lot of this still left in the world. In India where I live too.
Just a quick note on your title and the implications of many authors on this subject. As a Southerner and a person who has traveled extensively all over this country, I am personally offended by the consistant implication that racism only exists in the South. Racism, sexism, homophobia, and any host of predjudices exists ALL over this country! I find it amusing that when the race riots happened in LA no one talked about how racism still exists in California! Do your cause a favor, stop allienating an entire region by implying that this behavior only happens here. People in the South, trust me- I have been all over North West, East, and South- are no more racist than people in the North. That is not to play down the prevelance in any region. True enough, it exists. True enough, its appalling. True enough, it must stop. BUT I truly do not think it happens anymore in one region than in does in others. Obviously there are pockets of racists that exist in all states, across all cultures, crossing all socioeconomic lines. Lets not forget that no matter how refined the behavior, racism is racism. Its no less offensive, yet for some reason we allow it when its not directly offending our senses! On an extended business stay, I leased a house. The neighbor introduced herself looking like a modern June Cleaver and proceeded to tell me how it used to be a nice neighborhood but its becoming very “mixed”. The fact that “civilized” northerners feel safe making those kinds of comments to a fellow white stranger is proof racism not only exists but is accepted behavior! One doesn’t have to scream the “N” word to be a racist or be guilty of racist behavior. Its often more subtle than that. The fact that some people do not value other people (whether it be because of their race, sex, class, or sexual orientation) is exhibitted in behaviors all across this country. Don’t kid yourself into thinking its just the deep South or its just this group of people. The only way racisim will end in his country is if we stop making it the problem of “other people”. We MUST look at our own behavior. Its hard to confront our own demons. To end predjudices everyone of us- white, black, PURPLE- we have to look at our OWN behavior. How is what we say and do perpetuating these predjudices? By this title, are you perpetuating the predjudice that all Southerners are racists? Maybe you think its a stretch; but maybe it allows some reader to read this article and think, “Well thats what happens in the South. That doesn’t happen in my area so its not my problem”. On that note, I am glad this issue is being discussed and I am thankful to you for helping aid that discussion. I am not personally attacking you or your article. I think your intentions we noble. I just think bringing in the idea that it continues to happen in the deep South almost waters down the point- brings some acceptance to the behavior because thats what we expect in the “deep South”. PLENTY of Southerners are equally offended.
Thanks for your well-thought out comment, Tammy. You’re right, racism exists everywhere, it just has different faces. Although, I do disagree that the title of my post implies that I believe racism only exists in the deep south – just that this incident was an instance of racism in the deep south.
And as someone who is now looking to become a full-time southerner, your comment holds even more relevance to me. I will definitely take what you have to say here into consideration in the future.
Re-visiting all of these posts for the Carnival of Injustice. I’m glad I did because the above comments weren’t here when I first read yur post. While I do agree that racism exists elsewhere, it’s a fact that many municipalities and local governments blatantly endorse it in the south. I’m speakig as one who was raised right outside of New Orleans and spent most of my life there. Such bigotry is not acceptable anywhere, but it’s even more abhorrent when it is sanctioned by a government which should respresent everyone equally.
Amy,
I am so glad my comments were received in the manner they were intended. I truly am thankful you chose to discuss the issues. You make great points. I just don’t want them to get lost in the idea that its okay because thats what happens in the South or to give Southerners an excuse to bow out of the discussion under the guise of being offended or attacked or defensiveness. As for your intentions to become a full-time Southerner I think you will find Southerners do have some wonderful stereotypes, as well. There are communities all across the South that value their reputations for gentility and gracious hospitality over their racist roots. I am sure you will find a community that values all people, even in the deep South. I have lived in wondeful communities in Charleston, Atlanta, Mobile, and Orlando that have more diversity than I have ever seen in upstate NY, out West in Colorado, or even here in the fairly diverse DC area. I can tell you as a white woman in my late thirties, growing up I never heard the word nigger; but I got the message. Its that polite subtle racism that scares me the most. I hope that can become a focus after the fallout of all of this. And for those who do not think it affects them, there is ALWAYS something someone can find about you to form preconceived notions or predjudices- maybe you are overweight, or poor, or less formally educated, or gay, or have an accent, or a disabilty, or drive the wrong car, live in the wrong neighborhood, have a less respected job, have many children, are childless, or older, or divorced, or have a different religious viewpoint, or God help you a WOMAN! When freedom is denied to one of us it opens the door for freedom to be denied to all of us. I join you in urging people all across this country to look in their own homes and hearts and then take those thoughts out to their communities so that our children will never have to choose between defending their town and standing up for what they know is right. I do not know about whether what happened in Jena is about racism or not. I can’t judge the intentions of the prosecutors. What I can do is hope things like this are moved into the bigger realm of discussing how we dole out justice to anyone. I truly believe had those defendents been white and POOR the same thing could have happened and no one would have batted an eyelash. Thats not to say this was fair- its not. But our justice system is equally insurmountable to poor people of any race. I would love to see this incident spark discussion on that subject as well. Thanks for allowing me to get on my soapbox, Amy.
Another point that seems to be lost in all of this is that we need to educate our children to not respond with violence. Young people, especially young men; but its becoming more common with young girls, MUST learn to use their words and thoughts and NOT their fists. If we can teach our children to return to the peaceful, thoughtful, empassioned protests of Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King JR their points will not be lost in the consequeunces of their actions. IF YOU HIT SOMEONE THEY ARE NO LONGER HEARING YOU! You haven’t changed their minds. Instead you have justified their misconceptions and allowed them to retreat to righteous indignation. Above all else, I wish this point were not so lost in this discussion. I wish our justice system was fair; but lets face it had these young men harnessed that aggression into civic action the justice system would be on trial- not them. Yeah, I get it they are young and frustrated. BUT being young and frustrated in an opportunity! It is an opportunity to cultivate passion! I would LOVE to see passionate civic action take the place of culturally accepted violence.
Maybe racism is rampant all over the USA. I have not seen it and I have traveled all over the USA.
I know that when Katrina hit Louisiana, those people (predominately black) were left to fend for themselves way longer than anyone in Florida.