What the Jena 6 Meant to a Little White Girl

Anne M. Plant is a recent widow with two young daughters, 13 and 8, who traded their E! entourage lifestyle in Los Angeles for stability and structure in a provincial town on the Virginian peninsula. Now here's the true unfolding story of how Anne's sister and Army officer brother in law opened up their home. They have three children of their own; a girl, 13, a boy who's 10 and Baby Binkles who is one. Taking in Anne and her two makes eight! The melding together of these two families is Operation Brady Bunch and it is high adventure.

Somehow the radio news story of the Jena 6 captured the attention of my eight-year-old daughter, Poosie. Unlike her transient romances with ponies or Nintendo DS, she latched onto this and didn't lose interest. Perhaps it was the shear gripping drama of the Louisiana story that started under a tree with nooses hung from its branches and culminated in six black high school students beating up one white after months of friction. The attackers are now facing steep consequences. Perhaps it's because she wants to go to Yale and become a lawyer. Or, perhaps it's because we had once sent her to a socially conscious private school in Los Angeles. Regardless, the odds were stacked against her receiving any support for this newfound obsession.

We have moved in with my sister and her family in a small town in Virginia. She's now one of five children and the chances of getting parental support for this extracurricular personal interest were slim to none. Still, Poosie was undaunted, inspired and tenacious. She felt a great injustice was being dealt those African American boys and she wanted to express it. Her intention was to make an unassigned current event presentation in class Monday morning. Though I was sick as a dog in bed, she kept nudging me until I got up to do the right parental thing and support my child's intellectual curiosity. I printed out several photos, including one of the bruised victim, and provided the scissors and glue so she could prepare her poster board.

That Sunday night at family meeting we were deep in discussion about the Jena 6. Wide-eyed and with a few questions, the children participated in our debate examining individual responsibility and how it transcends color. We also pounded out a deeper recognition of the existence of hate and its effects on human beings, specifically African Americans. Finally, after an impossibly cute, herky-jerky presentation of more or less the facts on her posterboard, Poosie concluded our meeting by taking questions from the floor. We were merciless in preparing her for court.

"Do you think it's okay for six guys to beat up on one guy who is unconscious?"

Without hesitation and not previously discussed, Poosie served us up some of our very best conservative, all-American household logic: "You always tell me never hit first, but if you get hit, hit 'em back hard so they don't come back." I was momentarily stunned. She was right. That's exactly what the boys had done and that's exactly what we've taught her (contrary to her former pacifist school). She saw the nooses and the friction that went before for exactly what they were -- attacks. Her logic was simple and pure. In my moment of disarmed and prideful pause, I considered the corollary lesson we had also given: "And if you do, be prepared to accept the consequences." Therein lies a rub. Are the consequences really the same for all Americans?

In excited anticipation I picked Poosie up from school the next day. I was so proud of her dedication and follow-through on this project I couldn't wait to hear how it went. She flatly explained that the teacher had not allowed her to make her presentation, maybe tomorrow. I got it. On many levels this was not easy for the teacher to spontaneously incorporate into her day. Her classroom agenda was already jam-packed, it was not February and this was a polemic topic. There was no way to control what Poosie was going to say, how the children would hear it and how it would be telegraphed home. Yet, in an effort to support her, Poosie was promised a special lunch with the teacher for a one-on-one discussion

Now, I've never considered myself a firebrand. I would not willing to burn my bra on TV, join a million-whomever for whatever march, or God forbid, incite pitchforks and torches to descend upon this small Virginia school, but this situation unsettled me in a deep moral conscious sort of way. The purpose of this little project had now gone beyond affirming nurturing my daughter's sense of social responsibility and thirst for knowledge. This was not a dry presentation on the gestational cycle of frogs -- this was important. Undoubtedly, my sentiments were influenced by my prior experience in Los Angeles and my recent multi-cultural discussions in graduate school. I had just sat through a lecture on "broaching." Broaching is purposefully not avoiding a racial issue, but addressing it in some way to strengthen relationships. For whatever reasons, the Jena 6 subject was not being broached and the "white silence" continued.

The white silence is not limited to our school, but is clearly a national phenomenon. Before the Jena 6 hit mainstream news I had heard of the story from our neighbor. She had come over for a cup of coffee and yes, she is black. The chat drifted toward current events and she mentioned Jena. Neither my sister nor I had even heard of Jena, let alone knew it to be a hot topic. Clearly the story had been a headliner in the African American media for some time, but failed to capture a national audience. Now, I get it that news distributors only survive if it "sells" to its consumer base. This is a story that "sells" to the black community. But I also get it now how we consumers contribute the isolation of others by not bothering to involve ourselves in the discussion. I could see how my neighbor was affected by an issue I was completely unaware of. I could see how the minority families at Poosie's school were isolated from the general community.

I went to see the principal at the school, an intelligent, well-educated woman. She was very open and helpful. We discussed some challenges in broaching the Jena 6 topic. Our student body is predominately white with approximately 15 percent African American and 5 percent other minorities. In addition to the white majority, it is not a topic directly affecting elementary school-aged children and it does not seem to be reverberating through our community. Finally, unlike a private school, the public school does not have quite the freedom of agenda. However, neither I nor the school wanted to leave the topic untouched. The principal was very supportive of plumbing interest in a community building discussion on the subject. My next step was to talk to the president of the PTA. I was not sure what to expect. I guess I had my own prejudices of women who get heavily involved in the PTA -- particularly small town women. To my great delight and bias-crashing discovery, it was a woman I had met over the summer who was very responsive in trying to pull something together. She was even sure to suggest planning the discussion at a time working parents (who comprise a good bit of the minority) would be able to come. We are now in the proposal stages.

The Jena 6 was not a celebrity salacious event like OJ. Nor did it have violent riots; perhaps it should have. If it did, it might have kept rapt national attention, it might've broken the white silence. Six against one -- who is unconscious -- was a serious crime that deserved punishment. Clearly, these boys don't deserve a near get-out-of-jail-free card à la OJ and Rodney King and Reginald Denny's attackers. And I, like many who immediately recoiled every time the "race card" was played, had no desire to sacrifice another white male in an effort to simply appease. But we must get over our knee jerk reactions. The issue is not whether the six should be held accountable. The really important, disturbing issue is the seemingly uneven application of law in comparable cases and all incidences leading up to that event. That is the real topic about which we can't get all of the facts. I want to know if justice is blind down there or is it still stuck in the pre-'60's Southern mentality. Why is hanging nooses not a crime in Jena? In this case it is as clear and obvious a threat to life as a gun in an inner city high school. My eight-year-old daughter gets that. Like spray-painted swastikas, the presence of nooses (absent in OJ, Rodney & Reginald's cases) calls the rest of us to look under the Jena rock for the prejudice thriving and attacking from its fortified position. This is the national discussion we should all be having. If you need, Poosie is available for presentations to get the topic rolling.

Comments

[Kav]

I don't think I'll be solving the "Jena 6" issue today.

However, I will offer up what I have learned from reading through the life of Anne M. Plant and her "geographically new" family over the past few months...

I read of a family with three parents who are involved in every aspect of their children's lives.

I read of children who are allowed to participate in the family discussions and have structure established for them to guide them into adulthood properly.

I read of family meetings, open discussions where everyone participates, rules, chores, and the opportunity to be independant... without being isolated.

I read of adults living as open examples of right and wrong... and adults who openly admit their mistakes so their children learn that it is alright to make a mistake, admit fault, and learn from it.

Most of all, I read of a family who communicates open with one-another. From Sisters who are now mothers discussing how to fairly treat children's trips or events, to individual coffee mug choices, the lines of communication are open vividly on a daily basis throughout this home.

I'll admit... I'm not a husband... yet. Nor am I a father. However, one will change in a matter of weeks and the other will follow soon thereafter. Through these brief stories I've been refreshed of what I was taught long ago was key to a good marriage and a solid family. That is "Communication". Often these days it is lacking.

It will be our responsibility as husband and wife to keep this communication going between us... and later on, with our children as we teach them what is right and wrong and how to integrate into society properly. I'm thankful for these blogs and for what they have provided me as an outsider... the refreshment of the importance of "true communication" and "leadership by example" in a family structure.

Thank you.

[A.M. Plant]

Wow, Kav,
I am honored and blown away. Thank you. Congratulations on your impending marriage and eventual fatherhood. That's wonderful! She must be very special. You are embarking on one of the most difficult and rewarding journeys. Godspeed.
Anne

[JuanMoTie]

Much to do about nothing, I say.

High school students can't be expected to act like adults, because they ARE NOT adults. Things get very muddy when adults become involved in kid fights. I say let the noose hanger and the offended party duke it out, one on one, not one on multiples of one. Go back to class when it's over.

We have become hyper-sensitive to EVERYTHING, esepcially race. I just don't see how a noose is on the same threat level as a gun.

As to the six-on-one or three-on-one fight, I attended a large city high school, and had a few fights myself. Blacks always fought this way. It was a fact of life. OK, label me a racist for telling you what I experienced.

The noose hanger was an asinine jerk, but it's still illegal for a gang, black or white, to beat him up.

Legal representation is not related to color, it's related to money. OJ Simpson is a prime example.

[blowoutfan]

Not that there aren't injustices in our legal system, BUT this seems like an extremely odd banner case for civil rights.

Have you read about this Bell character?

Bell had been put on probation for a battery that occurred December 25, 2005, and he was subsequently convicted of another battery charge and two charges of criminal damage to property while still on probation.[36] Sources told ESPN that one of the battery charges was for punching a 17-year-old girl in the face,[37] although details of the conviction might be protected under the Louisiana Children's Code.[38]

[Kansas Evans]

No one was saying that Bell was innocent, only that the punishment was abnormally harsh, especially in light of the punishment, or lack there of, whites had received in several incidents prior to the fight. These incidents include, but are not limited to, the 3 hanging nooses.

[nihilon x]

"This is a story that "sells" to the black community. But I also get it now how we consumers contribute the isolation of others by not bothering to involve ourselves in the discussion. I could see how my neighbor was affected by an issue I was completely unaware of. I could see how the minority families at Poosie's school were isolated from the general community."

This is a very good statement.

Almost all of us are guilty of only caring when "one of our own" is involved, and this goes not only for white people, but nearly everyone.

However, there comes a point where we as a society need to recognize that "an injustice to one is an injustice to all" and its good to see that your daughter instinctively understands something that many adults still haven't figured out.

I wish both her and you all the best.

[Cajie]

Grambling School has Jena 6 March for 6-8 year olds - one child is hung from a tree!

http://sweetness-light.com/archive/grambling-teaches-elementary-kids-lynching

Historically Traditional Black colleges and universities is what these closeted racist call themselves. Here in Florida they scream if you point out to them that they have their all black schools and we pay for it! I believe reverse racism and hate teachings are very much alive in these schools and is the norm in these favored all black schools.

JENA 6 FRAUD AFTERMATH: Friday an Alexandria Black man goes berserk after being hyped up over al sharpton's and black kkk march! Ashley, age 63, 12 hour stand-off in his lawyer's office behind the courthouse and killed the mailman delivering mail and one other, He wounded two of the lawyers who are in critical condition. google Town Talk, Alexandria, Louisiana

[Cajie]

You need to read different blogs because you are:
Wrong about the nooses
Wrong about the DA
Read the following from black and white authors:

Law Versus Mob Rule By Thomas Sowell
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/column.asp...

What They Don’t Want You To Know About The Jena 6 Case By John Hawkins
Friday, September 28, 2007
http://www.townhall.com/columnists/JohnHawkin...

To All you Women who Support Mychal Bell by Jason Whitlock Saturday, 22 September 2007

The Truth about the "Jena 6"
Saturday, 22 September 2007
Jason Whitlock Says What Media Won't Regarding 'Jena 6' By Noel Sheppard

Black and white becomes gray in La. town By TODD LEWAN, AP National Writer Sat Sep 22

This is a video of Robert Bailey Jr, one of the Jena 6, he has been receiving tens of thousands of dollars in CASH donations. Two of the mama's have new cars- 1 is a Jaguar and 1 is a Lincoln Navigator.
http://www.youtube.com/watch...

The evangelical outpost --Jena 6 documents posted on the Web
http://www.evangelicaloutpost.com/
December 27, 2007
The Jena 6 Documents
For the past several weeks the blogosphere has been discussing the incidents involving the "Jena 6." The reporting on the events in Jena by the mainstream media has been disappointing, with the focus being placed on the emotional reactions and protests rather than on the relevant facts.

The Jena 6--More "Civil Rights" Fertilizer For Louisiana by Al Benson Jr.
http://www.albensonjr.com/jenasix.shtml
This article has picture of Justin Barker and his injuries

Poynteronline
Al's Morning Meeting A Small Paper's Lessons from the 'Jena Six' Story
A community paper's take on why coverage of the Jena Six matters. By Al Tompkins
http://www.poynter.org

Jena 6 case caught up in whirlwind of distortion, opportunism By JASON WHITLOCK
Posted on Sat, Sep. 29, 2007
http://www.kansascity.com/273/story/296701.html

[Cajie]

Naacp, black KKK makes big deal about nooses. Some whites were lynched too. So GET OVER IT!

The Truth about Nooses: Lynchings: By State and Race, 1882-1968 *
*Statistics provided by the Archives at Tuskegee Institute.

86 years of lynchings in all the states =

Total 1,297 whites 3,446 blacks total 4,743

http://www.law.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/shipp/lynchingsstate.html

getting to the bottom of the woodpile

Why did the black student asked the question to sit under the tree at Jena? Whites and blacks off and on sat under that tree, one of the 6 has a mother who is secretary of the local Naacp. About 200 displaced blacks from New Orleans are housed in Jena.

Who do you think set the fire that burned the school house down? See what they have been going through this year after the fire.

Jena High Rises Above
http://www.thetowntalk.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071008/NEWS01/710080313

Historically Traditional Black colleges and universities is what these closeted racist call themselves. Here in Florida they scream if you point out to them that they have their all black schools and we pay for it! I believe reverse racism and hate teachings are very much alive in these schools and is the norm in these favored all black schools.

[nihilon x]

"Historically Traditional Black colleges and universities is what these closeted racist call themselves. Here in Florida they scream if you point out to them that they have their all black schools and we pay for it! I believe reverse racism and hate teachings are very much alive in these schools and is the norm in these favored all black schools."

Please -- my sister went to an HBC in Florida and she told me that the white kids there are treated just like everyone else. She said a lot of them came to a "black" college for many different reasons, but that none of them were criticized for their decision.

Get your facts straight -- "black" colleges are not all black schools and they can't discriminate against whites or anyone else.

[SeanGardner]

I went to an HBCU in Georgia, and I remember seeing latinos, whites, arab-americans, asian-americans, and other at the school to. In fact, one of my roomates (and good friends) was latino.

And none were criticized for their decision to come - in fact, they were embraced as a member of the family.

[eaglecapri]

Poosie for President!

It's amazing how some want to sweep this incident under the rug. Children should be able to talk about the Jena 6 issues with a responsible, well-informed, adult, everything surrounding the incident : the nooses, the declared 'prank', the DA's comments and actions, racial slurs, the fights (all of them), and the legal disparity shown between blacks and white. An open discussion would help the future climate (these kids are our future) in this country regarding race issuues. The teacher's response of setting up a private lunch meeting is appalling. The topic, if handled correctly, could have been a great teaching tool. Talking about race doesn't always have to end up in a divide.

There are many who believe Jena 6 should be punished, because assault is something that should not be overlooked. Back in the day, a school fight meant suspension, not expulsion or a possible jail sentence...even if one student was jumped by several (And, do I need to say my experience has been the person who was jumped - 9 times out of 10 - deserved a good a** whoopin'.). I'm just sayin'.....

Good for you mom for pushing the issue!

And thanks for this quote (see below). I'll definitely have to pass this one on to my children!!!

"You always tell me never hit first, but if you get hit, hit 'em back hard so they don't come back."

[AsaNisMasa]

i made this and it was printed in my college's newspaper along with an editorial i wrote...alas it has not generated much discussion if any..

http://img228.imageshack.us/my.php?image=justice4allsmalltb8.jpg

[eaglecapri]

Why are you hiding your face? Show it for the world to see!!!!!

[nihilon x]

It is a dialogue that many are afraid to bring up for fear of offending others.

This is a fear that needs to be overcome if we are going to move forward as a nation.

[alyceclover]

randl1999 is an example of what happens due to bad news reporting. He assumes what he stated is a fact. A fact he left out was that Justin was taunting Robert Bailey about getting his ass whooped. Bailey, black, got beat up by at least two white people. One, a 22 year old was given a simple assualt charge. People like randl1999 never comment on a 22 year old beating up a minor. Bigtory and racism is a sad fact of life.

[randl1999]

I'm not an example of anything in particular, nor would I wish to be. I stated that according to printed news reports, these were the two incidents that seemed to stand out in reporters' minds. I'm certainly not aware of prior conflicts, which were not reported to the world outside Jena, and I wonder how much is anecdotal and how much is fact. Anyway, as two wrongs don't make a right, no matter what tensions were caused by prior behaviors, they did not justify a criminal act(either juvenile OR adult)of six young men beating one young man senseless. And from the size of Michael Bell, even one-on-one seems quite one-sided, Bailey's trash talking notwithstanding.

[alyceclover]

This is a great story and yes I taught my children if they got bullied to fight back. That if they got in trouble at school they would not be in trouble at home. That never happened tho'.

The disturbing thing is only THREE teens were involved in the Barker incident. That has to be proven in court as well as the guilt of the other 3. True the first kid that hauled off and blind-sided Justin should have kept his cool, but after repeated taunting, tempers do flare. Media needs to remember to use the word "Accussed of" or alleged to avoid potential lawsuits. By reporting that 6 black teens jumped 1 white teen almost impossible to get the kids a fair trial.

I am "white" and 3 of my black neighbors heard about the Jena 6 for the first time from me.

[brooklyncitizen]

Yeah I was definitely digging the post until I stumbled across those words: "sacrifice another white male".Priceless.

I think your daughter is awesome especially at such a young age and it is great that you are supporting her.

The bottomline is that American whites cannot escape their mantle of white privelege. THey are programmed to see the "other" and treat the other differntly, guardedly, aggressively, disrespectfully etc.There is a whole range of attitudes that are adopted and most of them unconcious.

The Jena 6 DA still believes along with the Jena residents that the noose was just a prank and the DA was carrying out justice by prosecuting the youth as adults.

In so many ways whites get it wrong on a daily basis.

[BlairCase]

Jena High School students, teachers and administrators say that students of both races congregated beneath the tree and that the tree was never officially or unofficially reserved for white students. According to the Jena Times, the black student who requested permission at an assembly posed the question in jest. The paragraph below is taken from the Jena Times chronology of events:

"August 30, 2006: During a Wednesday assembly of all males at Jena High School, many items were discussed concerning rules and policies of the school for the new school year. Such items included dress codes, etc. Near
the end of the assembly, one black student jokingly asked Assistant Principal Gawen Brugess if black students were permitted to sit underneath the tree in the center of the square located in the center of the campus.
The question evoked laughter from everyone at the meeting, including the black students, with Burgess responding, "Don't even go there. You know you can sit anywhere you want." Burgess and the rest of the students knew the
remark was made to gain laughter as a joke, not as a serous question. A couple more jokes were also made (not about the tree) before the
lighthearted assembly was dismissed."

The Justice Department investigated the noose-hanging incident and determined that it did not fall within federal guidelines for a hate crime. Following the Jena High School beating incident, the Justice Department reopened its investigation and found no link between the noose-hanging incident and the assault on Justin Barker or other confrontations between black and white students at Jena High School. Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for the Western District of Louisiana, told CNN that "A lot of things happened between the noose hanging and the fight occurring, and we have arrived at the conclusion that the fight itself had no connection." He added that "We could not prove that, because the statements of the students themselves do not make any mention of nooses, of trees, of the 'N' word or any other word of racial hate."

[randl1999]

You are correct in that we have been unable to get all the facts about all the incidents surrounding the Jena 6 case. What we do know is that 3 nooses were hung from the "White Tree", after a young Black student asked to sit under it. What we also know is that 6 young Black men beat a young White man senseless, continuing to kick him while he was on the ground. As Al and Jesse tried to say, "he later was released from the hospital and attended a school function that night, so he must not have been that badly injured". But that's not the point for Poosie. The point is that the two incidents were NOT comparable! Hanging nooses, as cowardly and shameful as it is, is still protected by the First Amendment, and is not a criminal offense. Perhaps it should be, and in that case the law must be changed. So, therefore, in terms of justice, it would have been impossible to apply it evenly. I'm not sure what form of "White Silence" you are uncomfortable about. The South IS changing, albeit slowly, and many of us regret our part, and our family's part in the accumulated stain of racism.

[brooklyncitizen]

THere were other incidents.A few whites beat up a black student prior to this incident. Also prior, a few whites threatenned a group of black students with a gun while at a gas station pumping gas. THe black students managed to wrestle the gun away from the white kid and the police showed up and charged the black kid for having a gun. Yes it is THAT absurd in Jena.

Regarding the noose incident, the black kids protested by gathering under the tree and the DA was CALLED and he threatenned to sign their lives away with a strike of a pen.A promise that he kept.

Lstly, the white kid that was "unconsious" was not treated at a hospital and that very night went to a school party. Micahel Bell has been in jail almost a year, I think that is sufficient punishment, considering the white kid that beat up the black kid did not get charged, nor the kid that threatenned with a gun, nor the ones with the noose.

I suggest you go to Democracy Now.org, who broke the story nationally in the spring for detailed information on all these incidents.

[Kansas Evans]

Sacrifice ANOTHER white male in an effort t simple appease?

Okay, you've got a long way to go, but I sincerely applaud your efforts to get there and your encouraging your daughter as she makes the journey toward's racial reconciliation herself.

[A.M. Plant]

Thank you for your encouragement. Let me clarify, it is not okay to sacrifice a white man, a black man, a woman, a Jew, a mentally handicapped individual or anyone on the alter of appeasement.

[Kansas Evans]

I get that. I'm just not sure what you're calling appeasement.

If you're equating Rodney King's attackers with Reginal Denny's attackers, okay. But I don't know of many white males who've been sacrificed. The way black children are tracked from school to prison, the way the war on drugs has played out, I don't think there's anything for white males to be concerned about.

That said. If justice for all were a reality, no appeasement would be necessary. Ever.

I was surprised to see you answered back. Wow! Give my best to your family. All of you seem like cool people.

[rini]

Oh yeah, those poor white males.

[nihilon x]

There was no "sacrifice" -- Mychal Bell will still have his day in court, he just will no longer be prosecuted as an adult as he is still a juvenile.

Its not about "sacrificing" anyone -- its about fairness in our judicial system.