Southern Students Outraged Over Jena Six

As sentencing of Jena Six victim Mychal Bell comes closer to its September 20 date, Southern University students have organized various events in outrage.
The first event was a Jena Six informational presented by the Pan Hellenic Council along with the Student Government Association and was hosted by senior accounting major from Atlanta, Toussaint Pierre in Stewart Hall auditorium last Monday night.
“The situation could happen to anyone and it’s easy to get evolved,” said Pierre. “As student leaders we head to have to stand out.”
The main speaker for the program was J&A Constructions Management Resource Corporation owner Addie L. Mills who is also a Fundraiser Coordinator for the young men involved.
“My son grew up with all of these young men and they are all close to me,” said Mills.
Mills’ appearance also gave new revelations to the Jena Six issue including reveling that the assistant principle of Jena High School laughed when one of the black students told him of the nooses hung from the school’s courtyard tree, that the teen who actually hit Justin Barker leading to the arrest of the six black students was never charged and that the migraine headaches Baker supposedly suffered from the fight had been with him since he was a child.
Alumni of Jena High School, Mills spoke on how when she attended she didn’t sit under the “white tree” and is ashamed it lasted so long until now though she blames the administration for separating white and black youth in Jena.
“A lot of white kids won’t be classmates with black kids until high school in Jena,” said Mills. “When you take those white kids into interracial school they don’t know the importance of nooses and how they hurt blacks.”
According to Mills, the reason why Bell’s sentencing is so important because if he gets justice, it’ll be easy for the rest of the young men to get the same judgment.
She also warned those in attendance that many of the websites that are falsely profiting off the Jena Six.
After Mills’ speech concluded, associate professor of the Political Science Department Dr. Albert Samuels spoke on how the Jena Six is a metaphor for race relations in America.
“Jim Crow didn’t die, It regrouped and got smarter,” said Samuels.
The following Tuesday night, there was a candle light vigil took place on Southern’s campus where various students recited prayers and poems.
Students like senior political science major from Rayville, Eja Johnson are in high spirits for Southern student’s response to the issue.
“Personally I feel the town of Jena is using this issue and there young men as an example to put fear in the hearts of the black residents in Jena,” said Johnson. “It is wrong and we all need to take a stand against this injustice.”
On the date of Bell’s sentencing, many activist and supporters will be coming from across the nation to rally in support the Jena Six and Southern University will be no different.
Organized by the SGA, there will be a bus for students who want to participate in the rally in Jena.
Many students are fearful of missing class since some teachers will not be excusing students which some students like junior Political Science major from Lake Charles, Jared Crawford.
“I feel that our students want to participate and that students should be allowed to be excused because we are at an HBCU,” said Crawford.
According to SGA President Carey Ash at the end of the day shows how far Louisiana has gone since the civil rights era.
“Jena has shown how far Louisiana has gone since the civil rights era and we haven’t moved an inch,” said Ash.