Mychal Bell - Freed on Bail!

One of the Jena 6, Mychal Bell was released from jail today. The prosecutor confirmed that he will not seek to try Mychal Bell as an adult in the beating case of a white classmate. This is really a victory because the prosecutor was literally trying to get this boy to be behind bars for 15 years or more.

I'm happy that Mychal Bell has been freed on bail because it shows how much positive can come from standing up for what's right. I personally sent email to legislators in Louisiana, I wrote about it in my e-newsletter and encouraged others to write in, protest and wear black--anything that we help send the message that we knew that Mychal Bell was being treated unfairly and that we were going to do something about it.

Though I know the fight isn't over, I feel happy that the struggle has seemed to move just a bit.

Race Relations 2007- A journey backward

Everyday that I turn on the radio, look at tv or check news stories on the internet, I see more indicators of racial inequality and insensitivity. I feel that the nation is becoming more and more separated as it relates to race issues. Americans are losing their humanity and are instead focusing on the race card. America has never been a Utopian society but the last couple of months have been real indications that the Great Race Divide still thrives in America.

Some recent observations:

**The big to-do made about Bill O'Reilly's comments after he had dinner with Rev. Al Sharpton at Sylvia's Restaurant. Apparently on O'Reilly's show he said that he was surprised that this black establishment was run and the patrons were enjoying themselves the same as he would see at a typical Italian restaurant. Someone captured his comments from his show and sent them out over the black media networks as if this was the most racist thing Bill O'Reilly has said. Being truthful about what your perceptions are is necessary for individual growth. I thought it was great for Bill O'Reilly to confront his own misperceptions and acknowledge to his listening audience that he was wrong about black patrons and service at a black restaurant. But, instead of making this a somewhat enlightening moment, it was turned into a racially divisive comment.

**Megan Williams, an African American alleged torture victim in Logan County, WV. In the article in the Charleston Daily Mail, the majority of the case focuses on Ms. Williams having been charged with writing bad checks. There is no anger put on the alleged acts of her torturers making her eat rat feces or holding her captive. In fact, her being a torture victim was merely a footnote of this story. I do not want to make light of the bad checks that she wrote which amounted to a little over $500. But, I think her being a torture victim is the bigger story and should have been treated as such. I wonder if this article about her writing bad checks was written to make her a less sympathetic victim. I wonder. See for yourself:
http://www.dailymail.com/story/News/2007091957/Torture-victim-charged-with-writing-bad-checks/

**The Jena 6 case in Louisiana. Many whites didn't see the inequality in charging black teens for attempted murder in a fight even though white boys in the same town who committed the same kind of act against a black teen weren't charged at all. Additionally, many mainstream news outlets didn't even carry the story until famous black radio personalities "sounded the alarm."

What do we gain as Americans by turning against each other? What progress do we make? We continue to fight each other over matters of race instead of reaching toward each other to triumph over issues of humanity.

The Jena 6 - I will be wearing black

I will be wearing black on September 20th in my support of the Jena 6. I know that the 6 black boys in Jena, Louisiana could have been related to me. They could have been one of my cousins or a child from my neighborhood. That is why I will be wearing black. That is why I will be dressing my children in black.

If it’s the JENA 6 today, it could be 6 of your friends tomorrow, 6 of your relatives the next day, 6 of your cousins the day after that, and 6 of your children the day after that. There are 6 black boys in Jena, Louisiana who are in for the fight of their lives because they are facing life in jail for a school yard fight. It’s ignorance at its worse and racism at its best. The time is now for everyone to stand up for justice, no matter your color. The time is now for all of us to rally behind the JENA 6 and get the people out of office for what they’ve done and what they’re attempting to do. It is an American embarrassment and an American tragedy. How can the wealthiest, most civilized, most industrialized society in the world lower itself to such brutal, arcane, unforgivable practices? Who are we Americans? Who do we want to be?

I urge everyone who can travel to Jena, LA on September 20th to do so. The Jena 6 need our support. Visit http://www.freethejena6.org/ to learn more and to be urged to act!!!

Radio personality and author, Michael Baisden is urging all of us to wear black on September 20th in support of the Jena 6. Visit http://www.michaelbaisden.com/ for more info on his work.

I urge you to wear black and tell somebody why you are wearing black. If you don’t know what to say, feel free to use this script:

“I am wearing black today because 6 black boys in Louisiana are in the fight for their lives against a corrupt criminal justice system who doesn’t value their lives. I would never want my children, my family, or my neighbors to lose their freedom over a school yard fight. It’s not right and so today I am wearing black. I am mourning civil rights that the criminal justice system in Jena, Louisiana is so easily trying to kill. If you enjoy your freedom, you, too, should be wearing black.”