University students are among what is expected to be a crowd of thousands gathering in Jena, La. this morning in protest of what they view as racially charged treatment of several black high school students arrested for assaulting their peer.
First-year College student Nureya Anthony said she and several other students have departed for Jena to join in a rally for six black teenagers -- known as the Jena Six -- who were arrested and charged last year with the assault of Justin Barker, a white teenager at Jena High School.
Last fall, three nooses were hung from a tree where white students often congregated after black students had decided to sit under that tree the day before.
Tension escalated, culminating last December when the Jena Six allegedly attacked Barker, according to Anthony. The Jena Six were charged with attempted murder, sparking national outrage at what has been considered a racially charged action.
The charges, however, were later scaled back to offenses including aggravated battery and conspiracy, of which one of the students, Mychal Bell, was convicted this past summer. The conviction was thrown out Friday, however, because Bell had been tried as an adult, according to Mervyn Marcano, a member of the online organization Color of Change.
J. P. Mauffrey, Jr., the local judge presiding over the case, declined to comment on the case.
Bell will be held until further action is decided upon, Anthony said.
According to Marcano, the rally today in Jena is intended to continue to keep pressure on the governor and district attorney because "not a whole lot has changed despite the overturned conviction."
Anthony is traveling to the rally with two other University students and three students from Virginia Commonwealth University, Anthony said.
"It was all God that made this trip happen, because yesterday it was not going to happen," Anthony said. "Someone donated a van. All of us put up money to make the trip. We are super-excited. I really wanted to go to Jena. I didn't really know how to go about it, but I got in touch with some members of the U.Va. community who helped me plan it. Everything just fell into place."
Many University students unable to participate in the rally in Louisiana have shown their support for the Jena Six in other ways, organizing events and vigils to raise awareness throughout the community.
"Everybody has been doing stuff in the past week to organize student support," first-year College student Brelynn Thomas said, noting that "it is important to do things here because a lot of people still don't know about the Jena Six and the message should be spread."
Thomas said she was responsible for organizing a prayer and dinner held last night in honor of the Jena Six.
Though these specific events around Grounds have been initiated by students, the University's Office for Diversity and Equity supports their actions, according to Bill Harvey, vice president and chief officer for diversity and equity.
"I think that it is really good that the students are organizing to bring attention to the Jena situation," Harvey said. "I think that the Jena situation is unfortunate but not an infrequent problem with the United States judicial system. People without economic means -- and in this situation, people of color -- are treated in a different way than their white counterparts in the judicial system."
Many supporters nationwide, including those in Charlottesville, plan to hold local demonstrations today.
"Thursday is National Day of Action and hundreds of events will be happening around the country," Marcano said. "Six thousand to 20,000 people are estimated to attend the Jena, La. rally tomorrow alone."
Anthony and her companions plan to attend the rally scheduled for 10 a.m., listen to Rev. Al Sharpton and other speakers, sign petitions and make their voices heard, Anthony said.
"We are going to tell the DA that racial injustice will not be allowed," she said. "The convictions are highly unfair. Five of them have no prior records ... I want U.Va. to be a part of history."
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