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It was an intense time last fall. Many Americans had never even heard of the 'Jena Six' until the wall-to-wall media coverage of the march on Jena a year ago brought the story into the nation's living rooms.
One has excelled. One has really messed up. But most have just gone on living pretty ordinary lives with extraordinary moments tucked into them. Here's what's going on with the key figures ...
Jena Six Case
Rallies in support of the Jena Six were held in Jena and elsewhere in the United States on September 20, 2007 the date when Mychal Bell was scheduled for sentencing.
AP
The Rev. Al Sharpton speaks to a standing-room only congregation at Trout Creek Baptist Church in Jena, La., Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007. Sharpton criticized officials in this racially tense Louisiana town, saying the attempted murder charges leveled against six black teens show "one rule for white kids and one for black kids." Seated with Sharpton are Marcus Jones, left, and Melissa Bell, parents of Mychal Bell. Behind Sharpton are several of the other accused students. (AP Photo/Richard Alan Hannon)
AP
A man holds a newspaper before the start of a civil rights march on September 19, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
Getty
A girl here listens to Rev. Al Sharpton speak before a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school.
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Radio host Michael Baisden(2nd L), Rev. Al Sharpton (2nd R) and Melissa Bell (R), mother of Mychal Bell, march towards Jena High school during f a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
AP
An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 demonstrators attended the rally that day, severely overtaxing the facilities of the small town of 3,000 residents. Because of the congestion on the roads leading to Jena, many protesters left their vehicles and walked into town on foot.
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: Bryant Purvis, one of the 'Jena Six' listens to the Rev. Al Sharpton before the start of a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Protesters march towards Jena High School on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana.
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: A protester holds two paintings ouside of Jena High School during a civil rights march on September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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JENA, LA - SEPTEMBER 20: Brandon Citizen, a student at Prarie View A&M University holds a sign to support the 'Jena Six' during a civil rights march September 20, 2007 in Jena, Louisiana. Thousands of protesters have gathered for a march on the Louisiana town of Jena in protest of the criminal trial of six black teens charged in an alleged attack on a white classmate. The fight was sparked between the youths after several nooses were hung from a tree at a high school. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Jesse Ray Beard
The youngest defendant in the Jena Six case--he was 14 at the time of the events--is using his share of money donated for defense attorneys to attend Canterbury School in New Milford, Conn., a private boarding school with a focus on college preparation. He is a junior this year. Following probation, Beard left Jena to live with an attorney in Westchester, New York where he thrived in the new, more structured environment.
Robert Bailey
Robert Bailey was the young man first assaulted by other attendees of a predominately white party on December 1, 2006. Many saw that attack as an accelerant to the tensions connected with the assault that would later occur on Justin Barker – although Justin Barker had nothing to do with Bailey's assault. When the police arrived, Bailey and his black classmate were told to "go back to your side of town." Bailey later caused an uproar when he put pictures of himself covered in and eating money, presumably money donated by average people all over the world to help pay legal costs, up on his MySpace page. According to his coach, he has gotten his act together and now attends high school at Shaw High School in Columbus, Georgia, where he has been granted an extra year's eligibility to play football.
Mychal Bell
Bell is the only member of the 'Jena 6' to stand trial. Bell pleaded guilty to juvenile charges of second-degree battery in December and is expected to testify against other members of the 'Jena 6' in upcoming trials. Bell admitted that he did in fact assault Justin Barker while speaking to CNN in August. He was denied a chance to play his senior year of high school football in August at Carroll High School in Monroe, La. Bell missed his last year of football eligibility because he was in jail.
Carwin Jones
Jones and Bryant R. Purvis helped present the Video of the Year award on Black Entertainment Television's Hip-Hop Awards during the October awards show. His charges were reduced at his arraignment to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit the same. Jones was arrested May 10, 2008, and charged with misdemeanor battery in connection with a fight that involved baseball bats. Jones said he has been constantly targeted and intimidated at his new school and that the incident that day "hit a nerve" and he reacted.
Bryant Purvis
Purvis now lives in Carrollton, Texas and was arrested on February 7, 2008 for an assault causing bodily injury on a fellow high school student. Police say Purvis walked up to another student from behind, grabbed his neck with one hand, choked him and pushed his head into a bench.
Theo Shaw
Last spring, Shaw was 2 credits away from earning his high school diploma. Both Malcolm Shaw, Theo's brother who police did not initially name as an attacker in the case, and Theo have now been named in the civil suit by Justin Barker's family.
Justin Barker
According to USA Today, Barker and his family have filed a civil lawsuit against the 'Jena Six' parents, the adult teens, an additional student and the local school board. Justin Barker and his parents, David and Kelli, allege in the suit that seven Jena High School students attacked Justin on Dec. 4, 2006, as he left the school gym. The suit names the attackers as the "Jena Six" students - Bell, Bryant Purvis, Robert Bailey Jr., Carwin Jones, Theo Shaw and a juvenile - as well as a second juvenile.
District Attorney Reed Walters
The D.A. who first charged the Jena 6 recently made an appeal in the removal a judge in the "Jena Six" case. Walters objected to the removal of the Judge J.P. Mauffray Jr. who admitted to using questionable remarks in the case, including calling the teens "troublemakers" and "a violent bunch."
March Noose Instigator
Jeremiah Munsen, a Louisiana teenager who hung nooses off the back of his truck to intimidate Jena Six demonstrators is serving four months in prison for interfering with the march. He was initially charged with "inciting a riot."
What do you think a year later?
Comments: (33)
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By: jeff on 3/05/2009 7:39PM
I think they should have lined each one of these thug wannabes,gangstas,punks up and let a group of six white boys kick their ass just like they did their victim, I know they are just poor misguided black youth, BS just shoot them all and make the world a better place
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By: No Name on 3/30/2009 9:53PM
These 6 CRIMINALS were victimized by us because we fueled the fire by calling it a race issue. They were made to be heroes while they should have been made convicts and they got away with it. Why did it take 6 boys to commit this crime? I hear statements like "they were oppressed" and "they are the victims" and it makes me sick to the core of my being. They were the perpetrators not the victims. While the actual victim is utterly forgotten about. Does any one see the problem here? Depending on the person you talk to you get a different point of view.
Lets take race out of it and look at the problem as if we were all color blind. Six young men attacked another and brutally beat him. The young man never provoked the six. Now lets insert the race issue. Six young black men attacked a young white man and brutally beat him. The young white man never provoked the six young black men. Does it make it any less of a crime because race is now inserted? If so, why does it? It does because our society continually keeps racial tension alive and well. We over compensate because we do not want to come off as RACIST. It is almost as if we want it to be relevant because if not we can't use it as a crutch. We give hate mongers like Reverend's Jackson and Sharpton and groups like the KKK a platform to from which to speak. All the while they are fleecing you of your most valuable asset, your intellect.
In our society we spend so much energy trying to identify ourselves with other groups all in the name of being proud of our heritage. We go around calling ourselves African-Americans, Anglo-Americans, Native-Americans and so on and so on. This is utterly ridiculous. We need to identify ourselves with the only true race we have and that is the Human Race. That is if you want true equality.
Would it be any different if the roles were reversed? Well it depends on who you talk to. One side may say the white kids would have gotten away with it, while the other says they would have been thrown under a jail. When things do not go our way or we get caught with our hands in the cookie jar we say "You are doing this to me because I am ______." You can fill in the blank with what ever term you want, black, white, man, woman or martian, it does not matter.
Where do our kids learn this from, they learn it from us (their parents), their friends, the literature they read, the music they listen to and the garbage they watch on TV. If you were to take 2 three year old boys of different races on a playground and give them 1 toy to play with, they are not going to fight because they are physically different. They will do so because of the toy. Give them 10 years and some parents who teach their kids that the world has something against you because you are ______. Then they will fight over race and use the toy as a weapon. If everyone wants their kids to be treated the same then it is up to you, the parents, to teach them that we are all equal.
Most of our society believes that Dr. King fought hard to get blacks equal rights. There is no doubt that he did fight hard and gave his life for his beliefs because he was right. I do not believe that he did it solely for blacks but rather for ALL people. He was not an just a beacon of light for blacks but rather all of us.
Oh and lets not forget the primary subject of this topic, the Jena 6. If these kids were such victims why have the majority been arrested for, you guessed it, violent crimes since the Jena, LA incident. My guess is because they didn't learn the first time because they were the victims and society gave them a pass because of their race. They were treated as if they did not have a choice but to chose violence. They had a choice and they picked the wrong one. They need to be punished for that choice. Again, they are not victims. In my experience in working with these type of youths (violent and habitual) I can honestly say that the majority will graduate to more serious violent crimes such as aggravated assault, breaking and entry, armed robbery and murder. So, for those of you that believe they are victims, my opinion is "shame on you" and you have done them a disservice. These are the young men that you will find in your living room stealing your things. Oh, and when you find them in your home, they will be the last faces you ever see. Good luck with that, let me know how it works out for you. That is if you are able.
These are my opinions and by reading this you are probably making assumptions about my gender and race. Well don't because you will probably be wrong.
Thanks for letting me address my thoughts.
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By: Ms. Rachelle Davis on 3/22/2010 1:53PM
I think it cause's stress and anxiety no matter what sex, race or creed you are. If someone is constantly attacking or making some uncomfortable comment's toward's you, then the focus on education is lost. School is to prepare you for waht ever road in life you choose to follow. Some will become great people who will change other's for good and some may just barely make it as so many Americans do. This incident has caused children to grow up to quick and always be in defense mode against other's. Racism is still ALIVE and it's a SHAME.
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