September 4, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kevin L.Williams
williams.crm@gmail.com919-251-1533
GET ON THE BUS: 'Jena Six' Buses to Roll from Durham; Will Join Thousands for Civil Rights Rally in Jena, Louisiana.
(Durham, NC) At least three charter buses will be leaving for Jena, Louisiana, on September 19 to join thousands of others in a rally in support of the first of the Jena Six to be sentenced for an attack on a white high school student. Mychal Bell, 17, faces up to 22 years in prison after being convicted of aggravated second-degree battery. Four 18-year-olds and a juvenile who round out the Jena Six are awaiting trial on attempted murder and conspiracy charges.
North Carolina buses will leave for Jena on September 19. They will be in Jena the next day for the sentencing of Bell. North Carolinians will join thousands of others from Atlanta, Dallas, Washington D.C, Birmingham, Tallahassee and dozens of other cities in a protest rally outside the LaSalle Parish Courthouse.
The Rev. Al Sharpton criticized Jena officials in early August, saying the attempted murder charges leveled against six black teens show "one rule for white kids and one for black kids."
About the Jena Six
The Jena Six are six black students, ranging from 15 to 17 years old. They attended Jena High School in Central Louisiana before being arrested in December 2006, after racial slurs and taunts led to school fight in which a white student was beaten and suffered a concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted murder and conspiracy. They face up to 100 years in prison without parole. The fight took place amid mounting racial tension after a black student sat under the "white tree" in the schoolyard where only white students sat. The next day three nooses were hanging from the tree.
An all-white jury took less than two days to convict 17 year-old Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena Six to go on trial. He was convicted of aggravated battery and conspiracy charges and now faces up to 22 years in prison. Before the schoolyard fight, white students had beaten and taunted black students in other race-based incidents, yet received little or no punishment. Jena is 85 percent white.
About the Bus Trip
Tickets for the round-trip bus ride are $120 per person , and include a restaurant stop just outside Jean before the rally. (No money is to be spent on gas, food or beverages inside the Jena city limits. Buses will depart at 3 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, and arrive around 6 a.m. on the 20th, returning the same day, after the conclusion of the 9 a.m. court hearing.
To date, there are three charter buses on reserve, and they are filling up fast. Buses will depart from the Wal-Mart parking lot, 3500 N. Roxboro St., Durham. Vehicles will be secured by the Durham Police Department. Local churches, restaurants and organizations are pledging donations of food and drink. Banners on each bus will indicate riders are from the Triangle region of North Carolina. Each rider will also be given a t-shirt.
A deposit of $60 is required ASAP. Make checks or money orders payable to Vanessa Williams, and mail to 5825 Sandstone Drive, Durham, NC 27713. You will receive a receipt for your deposit; be sure to include a return address.
For more information on the bus trip, contact Kevin L. Williams at 919-251-1533.
For more information on the growing national movement to support the Jena Six, there are multiple online sources and news reports, including:
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