The mere mention of “Jena Six” sends a shockwave through my system — a mixture of rage, disappointment and disgust. But despite the sad state of affairs that would allow six black students to be railroaded by their town’s legal system, there is something positive amid this spectacle.
During an age when Barack Obama has a viable shot at the White House, it’s easy to suffer social amnesia about racial inequities in America. We can’t afford that type of amnesia when we have people — like some of the white students in Jena — who believe that certain public areas should be off-limits to blacks. We can’t afford even an inkling of belief that hanging nooses can be fodder for practical jokes, or that justice can be meted out in glaringly different ways for different races.
At a time when old-school civil rights fighters and today’s youth seem divided on many issues, including the effects of hip-hop on black culture, it’s refreshing to watch them unite for a common cause. Whether moved by the words of Rev. Al Sharpton or spurred on by heartfelt postings on MySpace or YouTube, at least people were moved enough to care about and take action for the Jena Six.
The events in this small Louisiana town are upsetting and outrageous. There is no denying that they send a very sad message about the state of race relations in this country. But at least they also snapped a still-learning society’s attention away from O.J.’s arrest and Britney Spears’ clutzy choreography at the VMAs to a much more important and obviously enduring cause.
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kkyles@tribune.com
