The Jena 6

The Jena 6 Reflections paper:

By:

Being an African American student, the Jena 6 really took a toll on me. A racial crime at a high school, is not something I’m accustomed to and that was exactly what happened in Jena, Louisiana. At Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana the students stay segregated. The black students hang out around the auditorium and the white students sit under a tree in the courtyard. This was so, until the beginning of a school year last year when and African American student asked the principal of the high school, if he could sit under the tree as the white students did. The principal replied to the student, that he could sit anywhere he would like to sit. As a result of the blacks sitting under the tree, three nooses were hung from the tree in the courtyard. Many residents in the community wanted the three white boys expelled from school, but that didn’t happen. After the superintendent and others investigated the act, they decided that the nooses being hung up was a prank and the boys received suspension from school. Blacks feel as if this was unfair. One black teacher at the school stated, that white students can do anything and get a slap on the hand.” A few days later a few black students got together and began a protest under the tree that caused all the problems. Because of this an assembly was called and the police and district attorney were summoned. District attorney Reed Wallace stated to the students, “with one stroke of my pen, I can make your life disappear.” The black students went and told their parents that the DA was looking right at them. Could you explain when the black kids took the gun from the white student so he couldn’t harm them, but they got in trouble and not the white kid. Because of all the things going on the problem began to escalate, with fights breaking