SARAH SCHERFF
PHOTO EDITOR
Everyone was supposed to wear black on Sept. 20. Society was mourning the ill-treatment of a bright, talented, young, black, high school student. Mychal Bell, one of the “Jena 6” from Jena, La., was wrongly charged as an adult and convicted of aggravated battery in July. On Sept. 14, the state’s appellate court vacated his conviction. But Bell still awaits his release because, according to CNN News, the courts believe his release is premature. Nine months in jail is premature.
The charge is from Dec. 4, when Bell and five other black students, the Jena 6, were charged with second-degree attempted murder of Justin Barker, a white student who was beat up at Jena High School. Barker went to the hospital and was quickly released to attend a school function that same evening. His parents filed a complaint.
The fight took place in the midst of mounting racial tension that began after several white students hung nooses in an oak tree at Jena High School, the day after a couple of the black students sat under it.
The charges were soon reduced to aggravated battery. Still, the punishment does not fit the crime and all six students were underage. One of the students was not even involved in the fight, according to CNN.
Sept. 20 was the day Bell was supposed to be given his sentence, and thanks to many supporters of the Jena 6, the appellate courts threw out his conviction, on the grounds that Bell was unfairly tried as an adult. Unfortunately, he still sits in jail awaiting his trial in juvenile court because the court system believes his release would be premature.
Fifteen thousand people came to the small town of 3,000 in protest and to show support for Bell’s family, through a grass-roots movement, reminiscent of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. University of California San Diego, among many other universities, had an on-campus rally. Radio stations, like KDAY 93.5 FM, dedicated their entire morning to increasing awareness. CNN, NBC, and Fox News had special reports throughout the day.
People took to the streets of Hollywood in a show of solidarity. In Watts, students walked out of high school with pre-made signs in protest. At Pepperdine University, the Black Student Union sent a last minute e-mail to its members to tell them to wear black. The International Justice Mission did the same. The rest of the student clubs and organizations were silent. Why were the vast majority of Pepperdine students so indifferent?
The few people who were aware of the injustice, tried to spread the word; but nobody seemed to care. Unlike their parents, students today do not know the impact of the civil rights movement. Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and countless unnamed civil rights heroes fought for the right to be treated equally.
The majority of students have never had to experience treatment as second-class citizens in their own neighborhood. In 2007, the black residents of Jena know this feeling all too well. However, this problem is not limited to Jena.
The Jena 6 is the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other unknown racially charged incidents that occur from coast to coast every day. Pepperdine does a great job of making students aware of the injustices that occur abroad, but it fails to even confront the inequities at home.
We are the leaders of tomorrow. Leaders are not indifferent to injustice. Leaders take action to make a difference. As Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in the “Letter from Birmingham Jail”, “I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Bell is only one of the six. We cannot sit idly in Malibu and not be concerned about what happens to the other five in Jena, La.
09-27-2007
