jena six

Jena Six was the name given to a group of six black teenagers charged with the beating of Justin Barker, a white student at Jena High School in Jena, Louisiana, United States, on December 4, 2006. Barker was injured, but was released from the emergency room the same day.[1] He has since brought suit against members of the Jena Six, their parents, the school district, and others allegedly involved.[2]

A number of events took place in and around Jena in the months preceding the Barker assault, which have been linked to an alleged escalation of racial tensions. These events included the hanging of nooses from a tree in the high school courtyard, two violent confrontations between white and black youths, and the destruction by fire of the main building of Jena High School. The incidents were often linked in the extensive news coverage regarding the Jena Six.[3]

Six individuals (Robert Bailey, then aged 17; Mychal Bell, then 16; Carwin Jones, then 18; Bryant Purvis, then 17; Jesse Ray Beard, then 14; and Theo Shaw, then 17) were arrested in the assault on Barker. One, Mychal Bell, was initially convicted as an adult of aggravated battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated battery. His convictions were overturned on the ground that he should have been tried as a juvenile. Prior to a retrial in juvenile court, he pled guilty to a reduced charge of simple battery. The other five defendants still await trial.[4]

The Jena Six case sparked protests by those viewing the arrests and subsequent charges, initially attempted second-degree murder (though later reduced), as excessive and racially discriminatory. The protesters asserted that white Jena youths involved in other incidents were treated leniently. On September 20, 2007, between 15,000 and 20,000 protesters marched on Jena in what was described as the "largest civil rights demonstration in years".[5][6] Related protests were held in other US cities on the same day.[7] Subsequent reactions include songs alluding to the Jena Six, a considerable number of editorials and opinion columns, and Congressional hearings. Contents [hide] 1 Background to the assault 1.1 Noose hanging 1.2 Repercussions 1.3 School arson, fight, and confrontation 2 Attack on Barker 3 Criminal cases 3.1 Mychal Bell proceedings 3.2 Remaining defendants 4 Media coverage 4.1 News coverage 4.2 Columnists and editorials 5 Public response 5.1 Rallies 5.2 Artistic tributes 5.3 Other reactions 6 Developments since September 20 rally 6.1 Action by Members of Congress 6.2 Other developments 6.3 Members' subsequent activities 7 References 8 External links //

Background to the assault

Noose hanging Jena High School

At Jena High School, about 10% of students are black and more than 80% are white, reflecting the population of the city of Jena, which has about 3,000 people.[8] Some early reporting indicated