Valley Star

Issue date: 9/19/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Paul Olden SPEAKING UP: Valley College student Derail Armstrong, 25, was among several demostrators who met in Monarch Square to show their support for the "Jena 6" Thursday. Six black teeenagers were charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white teen in a small Louisiana town where racial tensions connected to the incident-labeled the "Jena 6", have resulted in nationwide protests.

Media Credit: Paul Olden GATHERING TO DEMOSTRATE- Several Valley College students gathered in Monarch Square Thursday as part of a nationwide protest of alleged racial injustice in Jena, Lousiana. Recently six black teenagers were charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white student. Most of the charges have since been reduced in what is seen by many as a racially motivated prosecution. The Valley College Black Student Union helped organize the school rally.

Media Credit: Paul Olden A SIGN OF PROTEST-Valley College student Marco Mora, 19, joined a noon-time demonstration in Monarch Square in support of the so-called "Jena 6" who are a group of six teenagers in the small Lousiana town of Jena who were charged with attemtped murder in the beating of a white student. The Black Student Union helped organize the on-campus protest of what many see is a racially motivated prosecution of the black Lousiana students.

Media Credit: Paul Olden NATIONWIDE SUPPORT - Several Valley College students took part in a on-campus rally in support of the so-called "Jena 6" who are six black teenagers from the small Louisiana town of Jena who were charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white teenager. Protesters at Valley who were organized, in part, by the Black Student Union Thursday, called for an end to what they say is a racially mpotivated prosecution of the group. Many of the charges against the teenagers have been reduced.

Monarch Square looked like the Valley College of the 1960s on Thursday when dozens gathered around Monarch Square to protest and raise their voices in support of the "Jena 6."

The gathering was spearheaded by the Black Student Union as a way to raise awareness to what many are calling racial injustice in the small town of Jena, Louisiana.

Six black students are facing 15-100 years in prison for an alleged assault after an incident that began when a group of black students sat under a tree that was traditionally a gathering place of Jena High School's white students. When the black students returned the next day, three nooses were hanging on the tree.

Violence eventually erupted on both sides and six black students were arrested and charged with attempted murder, although the charges were later reduced to aggravated assault, after beating up a white classmate.

Thursday morning, African-American architect major Derail Armstrong came to Valley dressed in black and wearing a noose around his neck.

"We are going to make ourselves be heard," Armstrong said.

Word quickly spread through various members of the BSU that there would be a rally at noon and that everyone was encouraged to take part at Monarch Squares' horseshoe area. Several students were busy in Monarch Hall making T-shirts and signs with the slogan "Free the Jena 6."

At around 12:01, dozens of students began to gather, from half a dozen Monarch football players to a wide assortment of interested parties. In only a few minutes, the horseshoe was full of people carrying signs that read "Stand 4 Equality," "Enough is Enough" and "No Justice, No Peace." The signs were met with loud chants of the same mantras.

"It is important for this generation to say we are not just a generation of hip hop and MySpace," said African American Studies major Ebony Haynes. "These students need to be active in their future. It doesn't matter what color you are."

There were dozens of testimonials by angry students who urged everyone to get involved and be informed. BSU members handed out flyers educating those who were unfamiliar with the issue as well as having two laptops set up for anyone to sign a Website petition to free the "Jena 6."

"One the ways you can get involved is with the student union," urged ASU vice president Jamoceo Black. "Our voices are very powerful on campus."

The protesters marched around Monarch Square chanting and raising their signs while they encouraged anyone listening to attend more protests that would be held across the city Thursday in what they called the "National Awareness Day."

Although activists from around the country made the pilgrimage to Jena, Louisiana to participate in the demonstration organized by the likes of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, protests were also held around Los Angeles and in cities such as Detroit, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Washington, DC in support the "Jena 6."

"I didn't even realize this was going on," said curious student Daniel Davis. "It is just shocking that something like this is going on and it's good to let people know."

Students and instructors continued to gather in between classes and listen to the words of anger and hope from the passionate protesters who wanted to make sure their voices were heard.

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