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Tina Jones of Jena, La., stands under a tree at Jena High School where three nooses were found dangling last year. The incident set off racial unrest in the town, including a fight for which her son Bryant Purvis faces criminal charges. School officials had the tree cut down this summer.

SJSU students to join in protest for Jena Six

By: Heather Nacht

Posted: 9/20/07

Thousands are expected to attend a major protest against racism and oppression that is planned today in Jena, La. SJSU's Black Student Union is staging a silent protest to coincide with the protest in Jena which will start at noon in front of the John Carlos and Tommie Smith statue.

According to the Black Student Union, the purpose will be to protest racial events that took place last year in Jena. According to news reports, last September two black students sat underneath a tree which was known to be a "white tree". The next morning nooses were found hanging from the branches which sparked racial tensions within the community, news reports said.

The racial tensions came to a peak when Mychal Bell, a black student, allegedly punched a white student, knocking him unconscious. While the white student lay on the floor, a few other black students kicked and stomped him, according to reports. Bell and the other black students facing these charges are known now as the Jena Six.

Anastasia Locklin, a Black Student Union liason and a junior psychology major, said that she hopes the protest will help stop what she says is an injustice that is happening in Louisiana.

"The only way to stop injustice is to speak up," Locklin said. She said the Black Student Union is asking students to wear black to the protest because it shows the mourning that the families of the Jena Six are going through and it also portrays the oppression of racism that is still apparent in some communities today. All students are welcome to participate in the protest, Locklin said.

Twenty-five students were surveyed around the SJSU campus on Sept. 19 about the Jena Six and their knowledge of the case. Of the 25 students, only three students had any knowledge of the situation.

"It was brought up in my war and peace class this morning," said Adam Turrey, a senior global studies major. "One kid brought it up and we talked about it for about 20 minutes."

Before today Turrey said he had heard little if anything about the Jena Six.

Lashanda Campbell, a junior nursing major, said that some black clubs are planning to participate in the protest. Campbell said that the issue of the Jena Six affects everyone, not just the black community.

"If we're trying to better ourselves as Americans, this is an issue that needs to be addressed," Campbell said.

Barbara Powell, vice president of the Black Student Union and a senior majoring in health administration, said she hopes for a strong turnout. Powell said that the Black Student Unions at San Francisco State, the University of San Francisco and Stanford University are all coordinating similar events on their campuses. She said she hopes that the protests will make more students aware of the Jena Six and other similar situations.

"This is a world issue," Powell said. "If we're trying to fight for equality and fight injustices then we need to stand up as students at universities and work as a community to make change."

When asked his opinion of the severity of the Jena Six charges, Sgt. John Laws of SJPD said he did not want to make a judgement on another law agencies actions while only having media sources to form his opinion. Laws said he does feel that "incidents leading up the tragedy were mishandled." Laws said he thinks that, had previous incidents been handled better, the situation at hand could have been prevented.

The Jena Police Department was contacted but declined when asked to comment.