JENA – Shoulder to shoulder, thousands marched during the hot, sunny Louisiana morning. They demanded justice.
Despite the conviction of Mychal Bell being overturned this past week, nearly 20,000 people from across the nation – including 100 LSU students – traveled to the small town of Jena to rally support for the group of black students that has become known as the Jena 6.
The massive protest, organized and sponsored by the NAACP and promoted by radio personality Michael Baisden started at Jena’s Ward 10 Recreation Park early Thursday morning. Protesters marched through the town, making a stop at Jena High School, where a series of racially-charged events led to the beating of a white student by six black peers.
Celebrities, including comedian Tyler Perry, and activists such as the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jesse Jackson attended. Politicians, including New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin, also showed support.
Justin Jones traveled to Jena from Orlando, Fla., with a group in 10 charter buses. He said after the events in Jena were publicized in Orlando recently, many decided to march.
“I don’t want nobody to go through what these young brothers are going through,” Jones said. “I feel that if this could happen to them, it could happen to any race, to anybody.”
Jones said he missed work and left his family at home to attend.
“I think this will be marked down as one of those greatest moments in the civil rights movement,” Jones said. “I’m glad I can tell my children I was part of something this amazing.”
C.J. Cary traveled 17 hours from Virginia Beach, Va., with several friends.
“This struggle has been going on in this nation since the beginning,” Cary said. “It’s a struggle for equality. It’s a struggle for responsibility from what I consider to be the majority. And the majority is not necessarily divided by [race], but it is divided by economics. Those that have money and power have always created a structure that supports them against the smaller, poorer, working people. It’s an economic war.”
An independent filmmaker, identified only as “Legacy,” came to the Southeast from Los Angeles to produce a documentary he plans to release on YouTube.com.
“We’re pretty much documenting our whole trip,” Legacy said. “From us organizing just support to get out here to us actually being here now.”
Legacy said he traveled 32 hours to Jena with his friends. He said he heard about the march on the radio.
“One thing led to another,” Legacy said. “And now we have four buses here.”
Stephanie Curtis, biology After driving through the night, the group arrived in Alexandria around 5 a.m. where they met with other groups and buses from across the nation to ride into Jena at the same time. When stepping off the bus, students began chanting and holding signs high over their heads, uniformly wearing black T-shirts that read “Free the Jena Six – Justice for All.”
Derecka Alexander, biology freshman, rode with the group Matthews organized.
“I feel like I’m actually going to make a difference,” Alexander said. “Even though I’m only 18 years old, I’m doing something to better the lives of the people [involved].”
Matthews, exhausted from weeks of planning, stepped away leading the students in chanting “No peace; No justice,” as they marched down the streets of Jena holding signs boasting to “free the Jena 6.”
“I haven’t slept in about four weeks,” Matthews said. “I almost passed out today on the bus, but you know it was worth it. I had faith in the students, and they helped me cover the cost. This is exactly what I envisioned.”
Michael Torres, industrial engineering senior, said the trip Matthews organized allowed a larger group to attend.
“We’re the future leaders, so if we’re not going to take charge, who will?” Torres said. “So we’re going to take charge now. I think [the bus trip] was a great thing. We’re out here showing who we really are. And it was good to see the places people have been talking about in the news.”
The group posed for pictures and spent half an hour chanting in the Jena High School courtyard. They stood on top of a dirt mound – all that remains of a tree from which three nooses were hung at the start of last school year. The tree was cut down before the new school year started.
Kierra Guy, Southern University graduate student, said many of her peers could not attend because of class and work, but her counterparts at Southern were wearing black to show support on campus.
Matthews said she felt compelled to organize the group because America is revisiting the 1960s.
“This is a revitalized civil rights movement we have going on,” Matthews said. “People realize we can unite like in the ’60s. And they’re realizing the civil rights movement never ended – it’s ongoing.”
Matthews asked students at the University of Texas to carpool to the event. The UT students drove to Baton Rouge early Thursday morning, where they joined with the LSU group to travel to Jena.
Samori Camara, LSU alumnus and UT graduate student, made the trip from Austin.
“It’s a very important issue for black people anywhere, particularly in this country. Because if you’re black, it could happen to you,” Camara said. “These injustices continue to happen, for a very long, long time in this country, and it isn’t going to stop until we make it stop.”
Camara said he traveled with three others from UT, both students and faculty. He said the Center for African and African-American Studies at UT provided financial support for their trip.
“No matter what college you’re at or where you attend, you must be doing things that fight injustice,” Camara said. “I think the situation was beautiful to see so many black people come together.”
Camara said the march was a step in the right direction, but it was not enough to solve the complex problems of civil rights in today’s society.
Matthews said the day’s events went smoothly, despite not being as organized as they could have been. The overwhelming number of people caused many protesters to branch out and demonstrate on their own. Some groups stayed in front of the LaSalle Parish courthouse, whereas Matthews’ group marched in the streets and visited the high school. Matthews said she was pleased with the passion shown by her fellow LSU students.
Alexander said it was refreshing to be proactive and seek change instead of sitting around and only talking about change.
“Our group shows how LSU students care even though we don’t know these people,” Alexander said. “This shouldn’t be happening. It’s for equal rights.”
—Contact Nicholas Persac at [email protected]