See that photo to the right? That's me in my "Jena 6" button that my co-worker Sam Moreno and a few other students created earlier today.

For those of you in less cosmopolitan cities, or at less diverse schools, the Jena 6 protests currently taking place in a small town in Louisiana may not affect you, or even move you to action.

Not so at CUC! With the help of mobilizing tools such as Facebook and Myspace, numerous CUC students turned out today in the requisitory all-black clothing showing their support for the Jena 6.

If you haven't heard the details about the Jena 6, here's a quick re-cap:

Last September at the local public high school in Jena, La., some black students "dared" to sit under a tree that was usually a gathering place for white students only. The day after the black students sat there, someone hung three nooses from a branch in the tree.

The situation quickly escalated with tensions between the two groups of students, and in November, an arsonist torched the school.

But, on December 4 of last year, a white student was beaten and knocked unconscious by black students. That's when the real trouble began for the town of Jena. The victim of the assault was treated at a hospital and released after two hours.

Police arrested six black teens who attended the school. They were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one of the students after the backlash and outrage from the black community (among others).

The one black teen whose charge was not reduced was convicted of aggravated second-degree battery and faced up to 15 years in jail. A state appeals court, however, threw out the conviction last week, saying that the student had been unfairly tried as a result. So, although the teen could technically be out of jail on bail, he can't post the amount needed. Therefore, he is waiting in jail while his prosecutors form an appeal to the state appeals court that threw out the conviction.

The problem with the situation is this: none of the white students received similar charges.

It's my personal belief that the situation has escalated out of the control, thanks to some famous, colorful figures like the Rev. Al Sharpton, who has had no problem stirring the flames of the protests.

But, the facts remain, and that is that there is a possibility that a state located in the Deep South of the United States is once again facing national attention for a gross action of racism against black students.

It's not surprising to me that CUC would take up the Jena 6 as a campus-wide cause, as our campus is so diverse and relatively devoid of overt racism. There aren't any "black" or "white" trees on this campus. I'm proud of CUC for coming together--faculty and students alike--to show solidarity against a situation that could have become very real on this campus. Very real indeed, if not for the focus on CUC's Christian mission and for the priorities and goals of the students to look beyond petty problems to how to service the greater good for themselves and others.

So, if you haven't heard about the Jena 6, read up a little bit on it and let me know what you think.

If you've heard about the problems taking place in Jena, La., let me know what you think of the situation.

Labels: Jaclyn Wile, student blog