Y Stands for Justice - Support the Jena 6!

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, April 16, 1963

The Jena 6 are six young African American men residing in Jena Louisiana: Mr. Mychal Bell, Mr. Bryan Purvis, Mr. Theo Shaw, Mr. Carwin Jones and another yet to be identified individual, have been aggressively prosecuted by the District Attorney for an incident that happened last year at Jena High School after white students at the school hung nooses on a tree in the school yard. The incident in question, a fight, was the culmination of events involving white individuals and African American students.

  • In September of 2006, a group of African American students at Jena High School found three nooses handing in a tree on school grounds. The District Attorney, Reed Walters, did not pursue charges against the individuals who hung the nooses. Instead, the three white students who admitted to hanging the nooses received only an in-school suspension for what was referred to as a, 'prank'.
  • When African-American students staged a sit-in protest against the suspension, the District Attorney came to the school and made questionable and possibly unethical remarks to the students including, "I can take away your lives with the stroke of my pen.
  • In December of 2006, an African American student was physically assaulted at an off-school party by white youths. However, no action was taken by the District Attorney to punish the perpetrators.
  • On the day after the incident above, three African-American students were confronted at gunpoint at a store, by a white man. Again, no action was taken by the District Attorney to punish the gunned man.

In December, the fight in question took place at the school between African American students and a white student. The white student was hospitalized for a few hours with minor injuries and, according to reports, later attended an event that evening. The District Attorney decided to charge the young African American men with second degree attempted murder-for a school fight. This is in stark contrast to the fact that he never, in incidents listed above, choose to file any charges against white individuals.

Mr. Mychal Bell was the first youth brought to trial by the District Attorney. While his charges were reduced from second degree attempted murder to aggravated second-degree battery, he was tried by an all white jury who found him guilty. During the course of the trial, Mr. Bell's public defender did not call any witnesses in his defense and did not put on any evidence.

On September 14, 2007, a Louisiana state appeals court reversed the conviction of Mychal Bell. This was roughly one week before he was scheduled to be sentenced for up to 22 years in prison.  According to reports, the District Attorney is now deciding whether to appeal the reversal to the Louisiana Supreme Court or to retry Mr. Bell in juvenile court. The other defendants are still awaiting trial.

The YWCA believes that everyone, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status, is entitled to equal justice under the law.  We call on all individuals committed to civil rights and equal treatment under the law to take action to help the Jena 6.

YWCA Virtual Vigil

The YWCA is hosting a virtual vigil across America. The purpose of this vigil is to highlight the plight of the Jena 6, six young African American men residing in Jena Louisiana: Mr. Mychal Bell, Mr. Bryan Purvis, Mr. Theo Shaw, Mr. Carwin Jones and another yet to be identified individual.

YWCA advocates will stand to demonstrate support for the Jena 6. To learn more about the virtual vigil or to plan a vigil in your community click here.

Letters

We have made it simple to e-mail letters to the Governor of LA and the LA Attorney General. Click here to tell them to get involved in the Jena 6 case.

Phone Calls

Call the Governor of LA and the LA Attorney General and the Louisiana Congressional Delegation. Tell them to get involved in the Jena 6 case. Click here for a list of phone numbers and a sample message.

Petition

Sign the Petition: Click here to sign a petition on the Jena 6.

Donate

Help raise money for the Jena 6 Defense Fund!  There is a high cost to ensuring a strong legal defense for these 6 young men. Costs may include attorney's fees, and researcher and investigator fees. The families of a number of the young men have already had to spend thousands of dollars just to post bail for their sons. If you want to help ensure that the Jena 6 receive fair treatment under the law, and help ensure that their families don't incur additional financial hardship, please click here to donate to the defense fund.

Town halls and forums

Help us raise awareness of the Jena 6. Host an event or forum on the issue of racism and the situation of the Jean 6. Learn how you can host an event or forum on the Jena 6 by clicking here.

Contact your media

Contact your local newspapers and tell them to cover the Jena 6 situation. Contact your local media outlets and tell them about the Jena 6 case and why they should cover it. Click here to get contact information on tv and newspaper outlets in your area.

Flyers

Pass out flyers to raise awareness in your community about the plight of the Jena 6. Tell people in your community that the fight for the elimination of racism and discriminatory treatment of people of color in the justice system is not over! Download a flyer on the Jena 6 that you can pass out in your community by clicking here.