Oklahoma Independent Media Center

State Capitol - South Plaza

On Thursday, September 20, all across the nation, there will be rallies for racial justice responding to events in Jena, Louisiana, that are gaining national attention. The Oklahoma City rally will take place from 11 am to 1 pm, on the south plaza of the Oklahoma State Capitol according to organizers. This is the time that one of the “Jena 6” (six African-American youths charged with criminal violence) will be sentenced to prison. Oklahoma City's rally is sponsored by the Oklahoma City branch of the NAACP. Attendees of the rally are invited to wear black.

According to NAACP spokesman Paul Thompson, racial tensions at Jena High School are longstanding. Black and white students have historically segregated themselves on school breaks, the white students sitting under a large shade tree called “the white tree.” When some black youths sat under the tree, white students responded with crude name-calling, and hanging rope nooses from the tree. Later incidents of name-calling and scuffling culminated in the violence which resulted in criminal charges to six black youths, but not to white youths.

One black youth already convicted, Mychal Bell, faces sentencing on September 20th of up to 22 years in prison. Bell was convicted by an all-white jury. White youths involved in the incidents received 3-day suspensions from school. On September 20, C-Span will air a program at 4 pm describing the case and incidents leading up to the present situation.

Commenting on the situation, Roosevelt Milton, President of the Oklahoma City chapter of the NAACP said, “African-American teenagers in Jena appear to be receiving the kind of distorted racial injustice that was more common in 1950.”

At the Oklahoma City rally, petitions to the Governor of Louisiana will be on hand for signing, urging the governor to remove jurisdiction in the case from the Jena District Attorney, in hopes that the “Jena 6” may receive a fair trial or retrials. Contributions to the “Jena 6 Defense Fund” may be sent to P.O. Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342.