The Case of The Jena - 6 - Update

On July 31st, more than 300 people came from around the country to stand with the families of the Jena 6.

It was quite a scene for Jena. We rallied in front of the courthouse and marched through the city, but perhaps the most intense moment was when a group of six supporters, led by a Jena 6 family member, walked through a line of sheriff's deputies into the District Attorney's office, to deliver stacks of petitions representing the demands of more than 43,000 of you that District Attorney Reed Walters drop the charges against the five students still waiting to be tried.

It was a tense and powerful moment. Black folks don't confront power like this in Jena, and certainly not with hundreds of people of every color supporting them. From the looks on the faces of the sheriff's deputies and other officials in the court house, it was clear they got the message—it is no longer business as usual in Jena and their racist attack on these young men will not be allowed to stand.

We also know we're making an impact on Governor Blanco. She finally started responding to the more than 60,000 emails ColorOfChange members have sent. Her condescending and insulting response—claiming she's powerless to intervene and failing even to condemn the egregious injustice that's taking place—was clearly an attempt to back away from the issue completely. We're not going to let that happen.

You can help build momentum and keep the heat on Governor Blanco, by spreading the word and asking your friends and family to get involved. You can find a brief letter to send them here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/thanks.html

Our impact has also been felt by the families of the Jena Six. Your support for their sons – in person, and in spirit – gives them energy and strength to continue their struggle for justice. Concretely, ColorOfChange members have raised over $70,000 to provide legal support for the Jena 6. It's critical that these young men get representation from exceptional lawyers; even if they find pro bono counsel, they are likely to incur $30-50 thousand each in expenses. To help, visit the following link. Every penny goes directly to the legal defense of the Jena 6. You can contribute by credit card, PayPal, or check.

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena_fund

We are planning on-the-ground events on or around September 20th, the new date set for Mychal Bell's sentencing. In the next few weeks, we'll nail down the dates and locations. Until then, please keep the Jena 6 in your thoughts and do what you can to let others know about the situation.

The road ahead for the Jena 6 is not likely to be short. But together, with a little persistence and some decent smarts, we can help them win. Moments like these—where the law and government oversight fail us—help us remember that our ability to survive and protect our children comes down to building a community of support. We are so grateful to have the opportunity to do this work, and so thankful that you are part of this community.

Thank You and Peace,

-- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
August 11th, 2007