A few months ago Black folks from all across America went down to Jena Louisiana to make sure 6 young black men were not being unjustly prosecuted and punished for a crime they committed.
It was in fact a crime; they beat up a kid and knocked him unconscious. Were thee agitating factors for this crime? Perhaps, as there were prior racial incidents that at the least helped create a very hostile and dangerous atmosphere, yet those of use of good conscious did want to make sure these 6 children were charged as minors not adults, and were not going to get unfair treatment by the criminal justice system of a very racist Jena Louisiana court system.
Now, I was for writing a few letters and bringing media attention to the situation, but the Usual Suspects of the Civil Rights Hustle Movement decided to get all charged up for what was an overblown prayer march. Not that there is anything wrong with that, its just that perhaps there were better reasons to march or organize.
For example, with the brutal gang rape of a Black Haitian woman were she was forced to fellate her own 12 year old son who was also brutally beaten, we still haven’t heard much if anything from the Usual Suspects of the Civil Rights Hustle Movement. But with these young brothers, who we know DID commit a crime, here come the Usual Suspects of the Civil Rights Hustle Movement and all the Black folk that they can hustle up mobilize run down, protest and hold hands and sing the new Kanye West / R. Kelly remix of “We shall overcome”…(damn, I hope I haven’t given them any ideas).
Anyway, where we are at now, that In proper ingrate fashion, one of the folks who was the beneficiary of Black good will, acts a damn fool again (Story Link Here). Oy Veh.
Meanwhile, we do and say nothing in force about a real problem in the Black community, bigger than racism, bigger than hate crimes, unless you count the ultimate hate crime within a group, self hate manifesting as self genocide. Black women and girls are most often the victims of the sexual crimes and abuse that they receive from BLACK MEN. Simple as that, if we should be marching for anything it should be for the protection of Black Women and Girls from their own brothers, fathers and sons. Yes, I know, most Black men are not abusing Black women and girls, but we need more than that, we have got to stop accepting the sexist misogynistic status quo and create an environment were respect for not just our sisters, but for EACH OTHER is the norm. We need to speak out against these crimes and support Black leader or become Black leaders that are dealing with the most pressing problems we have today, the INTERNAL ONES.
As for Mr. Purvis, good luck with those charges, I hope you get some anger management while you are in jail, because more than likely the victims of your future crimes will be Black people. That’s the only rally cry you’ll get from me.
Amen, brotha!
I have chosen not to write about the Jena 6, because I have washed my hands of that situation. I agree that the real reason we stood behind those boys was because we disliked how justice was being served. Now, we see that maybe some of them haven't learned their lesson yet.
Mr. Purvis seems "hard" but those prison dudes can be rough. He needs to watch that Boondocks episode and avoid the showers. :)
Jus' playin!
Posted by: Zackattack | 08 February 2008 at 08:23 PM
I AGREE COMPLETELY, and have said the same thing from the beginning. I took a lot of heat for it, but I didn't care.
I just can't believe that the black community can be so short-sighted! By rewarding BAD BEHAVIOR by giving juveniles the 5-star celebrity and hero treatment, did black folk expect anything different?
The Jena 6 were not worthy of anything except POSSIBLY good legal counsel on the bc's dime. They should have paid a price for what they had done, and it should be exactly the same price that we would expect any white boys who would jumped a black kid to pay.
We have to become a people of principle, if we are to stop the devolution of the black community.
Posted by: Shecodes | 09 February 2008 at 01:08 PM
Amen, brother!
Posted by: Gunfighter | 10 February 2008 at 12:56 AM
It isn't just the Jena SIX. Look at Nathaniel Tate, Genarlow Wilson, there is anther case involving a young black male in GA I can't thik of his name right now.
I think we are headed towards a critical mass. Sometimes the pendulum has to swing so far in the opposite direction that it is forced to swing back. Maybe after people's Jena 6 t-shirts fade, we'll think about who it is we mobilize behind.
Posted by: Gina from WAOD | 10 February 2008 at 12:51 PM
u aint spittin nothin but the truth
we're took busy pointing fingers at other folk that we're not taking care of the issues in our own community.
Posted by: dejanae411 | 13 February 2008 at 12:13 AM
wow! i never knew about the haitian lady. this is just horrible. yeah, where is AL and his crew now. :(
Posted by: tanyetta | 13 February 2008 at 06:08 PM
I am very upset that these young men are still getting into trouble. I will admit that I was a supporter of the jena 6 not because I thought they were innocent, but because 2nd degree murder charges did not fit the crime. But it is obvioius that these kids do not have stable adults in the home. And you are right, we did not focus enough attention on the woman who was brutally raped in the Florida housing projects
Posted by: Native Son | 14 February 2008 at 09:27 AM