Duane and I lived in Jena, Louisiana for a short time seven years ago. Duane went south before I did, and I followed a few weeks later. I recall him repeating to me what he had been told by a local- “there’s a black side of town, and a white side of town, and you don’t cross over. Ever.”
Despite this, I was unprepared, my first day of substitute teaching, for the conversation I had with two students at the high school. They were perusing a scrapbook made by another student, and began laughing and pointing. I asked what was so funny- “he’s got a cousin who’s part black” was the reply. “So what’s so funny?” I asked again. They kept telling me it was “just wrong,” I kept telling them that in the real world, there’s nothing “wrong” about being black, white, red, or green. It’s a skin color, nothing more. Finally, one of them looked me in the eye and stated “You’re a Yankee- you’ll never understand.” I guess he’s right- I still don’t understand, and I don’t want to understand.
I also don’t understand how the adults in that school system, or in the town, for that matter, couldn’t see this type of situation approaching. I didn’t sub very many days after that. It wasn’t just those two kids’ comments, it was the whole atmosphere there. At lunch, the school courtyard was divided by race- the white kids on one side, the black kids on the other. And, it was pretty obvious, as we had been told, you don’t cross over.
The cause of Thursday’s demonstrations dates to August 2006, when a black Jena High School student asked at a student assembly whether blacks could sit under a shade tree that was a frequent gathering place for whites. He was told yes. But nooses appeared in the tree the next day. Three white students were suspended but not criminally prosecuted. LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters said this week he could find no state law covering the act.
The noose incident was followed by fights between blacks and whites, culminating in December’s attack on white student Justin Barker, who was knocked unconscious. According to court testimony, his face was swollen and bloodied, but he was able to attend a school function that same night.Six black teens were arrested. Five were originally charged with attempted second-degree murder – charges that have since been reduced for four of them. The sixth was booked as a juvenile on sealed charges.
Take out all mention of race- three teens make a death threat to other students in a public school. They should have been arrested- in the current atmosphere of zero tolerance for school violence, surely even Louisiana has laws that would apply here. Six teens attacked another teen, beating him and knocking him unconscious. Of course they deserved to be arrested and charged. Should the charges have been attempted second-degree murder? I don’t know, I wasn’t there, I don’t know the teens’ intent.
Martin Luther King III, son of the slain civil rights leader, said punishment of some sort may be in order for the six defendants, but “the justice system isn’t applied the same to all crimes and all people.”
I agree- I just hope that everyone remembers that a crime was committed. These young men made a choice, and must live with the consequences. Let’s not make victims out of these teens, let’s not try to place the blame for their actions anywhere but on them. Instead, let’s focus on the crime that went unpunished, and the system that allowed this to happen. Let the protests be against the double standard of prosecution, rather than for the young men who dealt inappropriately with the situation.
And to the gentleman who was quoted in the title, you may not be racist, but your town had a reputation for being racist long before the Jena 6 came along. I think you may be out-numbered.
