setembro 19, 2007
Jena - Não ao RACISMO!
It's an American outrage that demonstrates the continuing shame of racism in Six black teenagers in a small Louisiana town are facing some of the most The events led to the arrest of the young In a trial that lasted only two days, an On Friday, the Louisiana Court of Appeals How the NAACP is Advocating For The NAACP is mobilized to secure justice * The NAACP, in conjunction with the
our country.
overly aggressive prosecution we've seen - all over a schoolyard fight with
white students. The group has come to be known in the media as the Jena 6, in
reference to the small town where a series of racial incidents escalated after
three nooses were hung from a tree at a local high school.
Click here to add your name to the Justice for Jena petition now!
men - all being charged with serious criminal offenses that could lead to
decades in jail. But, the white students involved were not initially prosecuted;
they received a three-day in school suspension for hanging the nooses.
all-white jury convicted Mychal Bell, the first of the group to be tried. The
public defender presented no rebuttal or witnesses, and the jury deliberated for
less than two hours.
took an important step towards justice for the Jena 6. They tossed out Bell's
conviction for aggravated battery, stating that he should not have been tried
and convicted as an adult. But, Mychal Bell remains in jail awaiting a new trial.
The legal fight is far from over for him and his co-defendants.
Justice
and equity for these young men.
American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the
Southern University Law Center, has provided some additional legal support and
resources to the defendants' attorneys and remains committed to the defense of
the remaining young men.
* We presented a petition of over 62,000 signatures (gathered on the NAACP
website; signatures now exceed 92,000) to the Governor of Louisiana on Sept.
17 as a symbol of the thousands of citizens concerned with the unequal
treatment of the defendants and the pubic acknowledgement that the hanging of
the three nooses is a serious hate crime offense.
* We have demanded that the Attorney General's office investigate the
prosecution and monitor the trials.
* We organized activities, including a rally and town hall, in Jena on Sept.
20 in the spirit of justice and equality. The town hall will focus on racial
disparities in the education and criminal justice systems.
* We are actively monitoring the situation and remain committed to the
defense of the six young men to ensure proper treatment by the court system
and protection of their rights under the law.