College Students from around the nation rally in Jena

JENA – Southern University students along with other college students across the nation participated in what could be a landmark moment in African American history.
On September 20, over 200 Southern students rode a three hours bus ride that left from campus to Jena at departing at 2 a.m., to support the “Jena 6” rally where an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people from across the country in support for the first to be sentenced, Mychal Bell.
“I feel like the rally has awakened the youth as well as the people,” said senior theater major from New Orleans, Sino Waren.
The trip to Jena wasn’t easy for students who wanted to attend, having to depart from campus at 2:30 a.m. to be on time for the activities that took place later that morning.
From the three packed buses provided by the Student Government Association and the Southern University Law Center it didn’t matter. This thrilled associate professor of the Political Science Department Dr. Albert Samuels.
“I don’t know if I could be any prouder of Southern’s students,” said Samuels. “More students wanted to get on the buses that were available. It’s good to know that I’ll be teaching on what we did instead of only what Martin Luther King and Malcolm X did.”
Before going to Jena to keep everything in order, all three of Southern’s buses received police escorts from nearby city Alexandria and once the busses arrived in Jena, students were in awe of the support.
“I’m glad that so many people participated,” said Southern graduate student from Alexandria, Lindsay Allen.” I have nephews and it’s for them and for the children I may have one day.”
Almost all of the shops in downtown Jena were closed that day while some were guarded by their owners who didn’t like the negative publicity the small town was receiving.
“It’s pretty awesome, I’ve never seen anything like this,” said owner of McCartney Slay Chevrolet (car dealership) and Jena resident Darrel McCartney.” I think the situation is something that was blown out of proportion because this is what happens when the media blows things out of proportion.”
Many different African American organizations and leaders from the Black Panthers, National Action Network, Rev. Al Sharpton to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition including leader Rev. Jessie Jackson rallied from the state courthouse through the neighbor hood of Jena and back.
As the thousands rallied, many stopped as the route made its way past Jena High School to get a glimpse at where the tree that was the catalyst to racial tension at the high school was located before it was up-rooted and removed from the premises, where some joked on how the tree wasn’t racist.
Students as far as North Carolina like Christian Sturdivante, a senior sociology major from Charlotte, NC who currently attends Gardner-Webb University, in Boiling Springs, NC, participated in the rally.
” I think it’s good because it shows that when black people are together, they can make a difference,” said Sturdivante.
While there wasn’t any violence or trouble, while Southern students were attending, besides a couple of white residents driving around with their Confederate flags waving, many or the other whites came and supported the cause including Kelly Duda, one thirty students from the University of Central Arkansas.
“What happens in Jena doesn’t stay in Jena and the world is watching the town,” said Duda.
To keep Southern students healthy for the over two mile walk, Lynn Dickerson, interim vice chancellor for student affairs arranged for the SU food service company, Aramark to donate some snacks according to SGA president Carey Ash, who was ecstatic on how the protest turned out..
“This event shows that the civil rights movement is still continuing and as long as there is injustice we as blacks will still fight ,”said Ash. “I would like to thank all Greek organizations who helped with all of the events.”
Many Southern students like senior physical education major, from Houston, Christina Archie felt that at the end of the day many blacks got their point across during the protest.
“I feel the protest made a good point and I think that maybe the President will really start to take the situation seriously,” said Archie.” I’m just hoping we got our message across.”