Blog Post #3

The Jena 6 case in Jena Louisiana seems like a racist miscarriage of justice. This incident does seem to be somewhat isolated, while also being over-the-top. This is one of the only really serious racially-based criminal trials that has occurred in the United States in the past few years. This could not happen anywhere or anytime because people are more tolerant and less ignorant, or at least I thought they were until I heard about this. Race has changed from a huge issue to a smaller one that I thought people were becoming more educated about, but after hearing about this case, I do not believe our country has gotten over racial issues. I could not imagine a school that segregated In Pennsylvania where we live, but I could imagine it in the deep South. Some aspects of our school are somewhat segregated, but nothing to the level of the Jena High School. There is no tree or something that one race has claimed for themselves that others cannot use. Our school is definitely more racially accepting.

Many injustices occurred during and after the trial as well. First of all, the African-American students were charged felonies while the white students were just suspended from school for a few days and no charges were pressed. Over 3,000 people gathered in Jena to protest the Jena 6 hearings. At first the case did not receive widespread attention, but quickly became known throughout the nation. Some of the Jena 6 were actually convicted and charged with time in juvenile prisons. Many people are calling for President Obama to correct the wrongs of this situation. Civil rights groups such as the NAACP have been raising funds to provide the Jena 6 with attorneys.