Place: Jena High School, Jena, Louisiana
An old tree dubbed "white tree", only white students gather under;
black students (10% at school) gather near stadium or gym;
a new student asked the principal if he, as a black student, could also stay under the old tree, he was told, "you can stay anywhere you want" one day in September 2006;
the next day, three nooses were hung under the old "white" tree;
three white boys were punished by in-school suspension;
some black parents met to discuss and believed this should be charged as hate-crime; some parents approached the school board to voice their concerns but was told the case was settled, it was just a silly joke, a prank;
some black students sat under the tree for a protest;
the local district attorney came to make the famour "I can make your life disappear with my pen" speech;
racial tension heightened--many fights broke out, school was partially burned;
one white boy was beaten by six black boys, the six boys were charged by district attorney as second-degree murder and conspiracy to attempt second-degree murder, and they were tried as adults, if convicted they will face up to 50 years in prison.
The reaction nationwide:
see photos--
btw, there is no more that "white" tree, it was cut down.
- Re: Aposted on 09/23/2007
hello,not seen sands for a long time.:)
it seems like that US needs another King. - Re: A "white-only" treeposted on 09/25/2007
Jena是多大的一座城?我也在南方,但城里的黑人很少,少数民族大多是勤快的西裔,只要不是懒人嫌懒人,大家都还相安无事。 - posted on 09/25/2007
Jena is a small town with population of 2,971 in year 2000 (Wikepedia).
it's so odd that nowadays there will still be something called "white only". But again we shouldn't be surprised for Jena 6 incident to happen, as it's in Louisiana, where a kkk member, David Duke, was almost elected governor several years ago.
Hi qinggang, how is your baby girl? is she reaching for toys now? babbling? interested in looking at her own hands? smile at her mirror image? (and tons of questions...)
How I wish I had more time for net-surfing!
you may be right that USA needs another King but that's so sad--then it means King's work went to naught and had to start anew.
- Re: Aposted on 09/26/2007
sands wrote:
Hi qinggang, how is your baby girl? is she reaching for toys now? babbling? interested in looking at her own hands? smile at her mirror image? (and tons of questions...)
she can suck her toes all by herself now.:)
she is interested in everything in her eyes but me,her dad.
i love her very,very much.
thank you for remembering my baby.:)
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