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Chicago Marches to Free the Jena 6

Midwest Committee for the Jena 6 Spread the News in Chicago

By Shamontiel, published Sep 10, 2007
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On September 9, 2007 (Sunday), protestors traveled to the NBC 5 building (Chicago) at 11:30 am for a rally supporting the freeing of the Jena 6. Twenty-year-old Tenisha Wilkerson of Chicago, IL is the organizer of this event and the founder of Midwest Committee for the Jena 6. Approximately seventy people of diverse races came from numerous locations (Cleveland, New Orleans, Detroit, Illinois suburbs, and Chicago) came together to walk from the NBC 5 building to the Daley Center chanting "Free Jena 6" and "No Justice No Peace" with signs that read just those lines. A representative from the YWCA passed out buttons with the word "racism" crossed out and "Ask me what I did today to eliminate racism?"

Chicago Marches to Free the Jena 6
Chicago Marches to Free the Jena 6

Midwest Committee for the Jena 6 activists stand outside the Daley Center

Credit: Shamontiel L. Vaughn

Copyright: Shamontiel L. Vaughn

Takeaways
  • A group of six African-American students are in jail for five of the six fighting a White student.
  • "African Americans are naïve to believe we're free from segregation when we're not," says Latoya.
  • "No charges would've been lessened or dropped without this kind of attention," says Tenisha.
Did You Know?
Here are two YouTube links with interviews from the Jena 6 young men ((http://youtube.com/watch?v=Emk9yv2YkZo, http://youtube.com/watch?v=kbQf5GW1WM0).
Comments
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Feel free to check out this http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/12/16/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio. It includes Mychal Bell's Attorney Lewis Scott and Mychal Bell's Father Marcus Jones. This plea bargain (read last paragraph) sounds like a way to get the judge, Reed Walters, and Justin Barker to get out of their crimes: http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/12/jena-6-plea-bargain-deal-not-win-wintha.html (They include not being able to go back and appeal the plea; Marcus will continue to pay child support for Mychal until he is 18 (what does this have to do with the case?); the parents have to pay a portion of Mychal's medical bill; any motion that they, being Mychal and his parents, filed against the judge and D.A. will have to be withdrawn and the parents will have to pay the court cost.) Skip past Professor Swain. She doesn't make a bit of sense, is being unprofessional, zoning out during the interview, and contradicting herself.

Posted on 01/09/2008 at 2:01:55 PM

 
I remember now that I did read one of these articles. You'll forgive me if I don't specifically comment on the article itself, other than if only to say this; In this day and age you simply do not put any nooses up for anything, much less for what that noose was put up-plain and simple! That kind of behavior or hateful gesture(for lack of a better word) is simply immediate grounds for legal action against such backward thinking idiots-betcha they'd run like sissys if the noose was on the other *foot.* Acts 10:34,35-look it up-think you'll appreciate what *THE* authority has to say on the matter! have a great day!

Posted on 12/21/2007 at 7:12:16 PM

 
For those of you who have heard the rumors about ColorofChange.org not sending money to the Jena 6 Defense Fund, please listen to the founder of ColorofChange.org (James Rucker) speak out on meeting Mychal Bell's father, money distribution, and how/why ColorofChange.org was created. It's a very interesting interview. Listen to Sunday 11/25/2007's interview at this link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe. VH1--SALT n PEPA Show 9:00 PM to 9:30 PM 11/26/2007 - Jena 6 Watch as Salt and Pepa teach their children to confront racism. PEPA learns of a story coming from a high school in rural Jena, Louisiana.

Posted on 11/26/2007 at 8:11:00 PM

 
I listened to BlogTalkRadio/weallbe yesterday, and I was disgusted to read what would happen if Mychal Bell's parents did not come up with the $600 monthly plus court payments right after Bell's father was fired. His parents would go to jail for not paying those fees! This judge is insane. To read more facts about the case, please visit http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2007/11/03/Oct-28-2007Dissecting-Jena-Cide-On-WE-ALL- BE-Radio-And-Beyond

Posted on 11/05/2007 at 6:11:00 AM

 
...with a bottle), and he's in juvi for 18 months and in a man's adult prison for 10 months. It's amazing how the system works--amazingly idiotic.

Posted on 11/03/2007 at 6:11:00 PM

 
In the November 5, 2007 issue of JET magazine, a young man (23 years old) named Coprez Coffie was awarded $4 million after Chicago police officers assaulted him with a screwdriver during a drug arrest three years ago. Coffie's lead attorney, Jonathan Loevy, said that Coffee had internal cuts from the screwdriver that was later found in the glove compartment of a squad car. This incident happened in a city alley from one cop while the other cop did nothing to stop the first one. Even with $4 million, monetary damages is not enough. That cop should be put in jail for assault and rape. And then people ask me why I look at cops side-eyed. Now call me a conspiracy theorists all you want anti-Jena 6 folks, but isn't it ironic that a cop can stick a screwdriver into a man's rectum in an alley and his punishment is monetary but somehow a fight between some guys (when Justin Barker had done the EXACT same thing to Robert Bailey Jr. only a few weeks before--jumped him and Justin Sloan hit him

Posted on 11/03/2007 at 6:11:00 PM

 
Check Out Mychal Bell's Father, Marcus Jones, And Other Jena 6 News Update Today On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Today @ 4pm Central/5PM Eastern By Clicking On The Following Link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe

Posted on 10/28/2007 at 10:10:00 PM

 
To those of you who listened to the 9/30/07 R2C2H2 Tha Artivist's show (www.BlogTalkRadio.com/weallbe), you may have heard Bell's father say that companies are not distributing money to the Jena 6 Defense Fund. I sent an email to ColorofChange.org and Goodstorm.com to find out their take on the situation, considering Bell's father mentioned ColorofChange. According to ColorofChange, 100% of the money is being sent there. I flat out did not appreciate the snappy response I got from Robin Harris (Goodstorm's Manager of Operations) although I do believe James Rucker (Executive Director of ColorofChange) is genuine. I really would like to get to the bottom of this though because I feel partially responsible. I told everybody at the Chicago rally to buy shirts from ColorofChange. I've told family, friends, and AC users. So as I know something, I'll keep you all updated. Until then, I strongly suggest sending your donations to The Jena 6 Defense Committee, PO Box 2798, Jena, LA 71342.

Posted on 09/30/2007 at 11:09:00 PM

 
Oh wow, I just realized that this article does indeed say July 9th. Thank you for catching that error. Nobody had pointed that out to me. I will contact AC in hopes to correct this immediately.

Posted on 09/25/2007 at 1:09:00 PM

 
D. Yobachi, back in July? This march was on September 9th. But yes, I was definitely impressed by Tenisha's work ethic on the Chicago march.

Posted on 09/25/2007 at 1:09:00 PM

 
Wow, I never heard about this march or anybody really doing anything like it, especially back in early July. It's great that a 20 year old organized it.

Posted on 09/25/2007 at 1:09:00 PM

 
I am an invited guest on www.BlogTalkRadio.com/weallbe to discuss the Jena 6 rally. Please feel free to tune in today from 4 pm to 5 pm on September 23 (Sunday). Call into the show live at (646) 652-4593 Or email R2C2H2 Tha Artivist your questions and comments at r2c2h2@gmail.com.

Posted on 09/23/2007 at 9:09:00 AM

 
I have no idea why this wasn't covered. I watched ABC and the Tribune running down the street and spoke continuously with Chuck Berman, a staff photographer for the Tribune. ABC did leave right when Wilkerson started talking about the Jena 6 rally though. Now how do you do a news report and leave during the most important part?

Posted on 09/22/2007 at 3:09:00 PM

 
I hate I missed it! why wasn't it in our local news? this makes me so mad!

Posted on 09/22/2007 at 2:09:00 PM

 
I'm back. I didn't see any protestors the entire time I was there, up until it was time for me to travel from Jena, LA to Alexandria, LA. That's when I saw this beautiful house with confederate flags on the gates. Wait, and of course the tacky Keep Out signs of Jena, LA residents. Please feel free to check out the latest read at www.associatedcontent.com/article/388808/jena_6_rally_part_1_the_scene.html. Slide show photos are here: http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/Shamontiel/?action=view¤t=bbfd8a84.pbw, http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/Shamontiel/?action=view¤t=86e39f66.pbw, http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/Shamontiel/?action=view¤t=a137a555.pbw, and http://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e258/Shamontiel/?action=view¤t=04f61d7e.pbw.

Posted on 09/21/2007 at 10:09:00 PM

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