In a follow-up to a story that has been slowly building into biggest civil rights case in our generation, the only member of the Jena Six to face trial has finally been released on bail.
Mychal Bell has been freed today on $45,000 bail, one day after Louisiana Kathleen Blanco met with LaSalle Parish District Attorney Reed Walters to urge him to drop his appeal and try Bell as a juvenile, as directed by the Louisiana Third Circuit Court of Appeal.
The scales that have been so heavily weighted against blacks in Jena have finally started to deliver justice.
There's been a lot of talk in the media, driven by the blogosphere. Without an independent investigation and legitimate trial, there are still a lot of misinformation about this case. So again, before anyone wants to reprint the rhetoric that this is a case of "6 on 1" or a group of boys "almost killing a kid", please read these links before commenting. Most of Reed Walters talking points have already been addressed. And now is the time to celebrate Mychal Bell finally being able to come home, as his new legal team works for defend him of these charges.
Alan Bean's excellent summary of the chain of events
Alan Bean's lowlights of Bell's trial in Jena's race-based justice system
CNN's special investigation reveals more of the town's history, and details surrounding the incident
Frequently quoted misinformation rebutted
But for everyone who has been following this case and watching these events unfold, we can all be pleased to see Mychal Bell walk out of prison. However lest we let our guard down and assume that justice will be done, this is where Jena needs to go from here before justice is done:
Restoring justice to Jena will require the following:
• The Louisiana State Police must be assigned to the investigation of the alleged fight at the school.
• District Attorney Reed Walters must recuse himself from the investigation and prosecution of the black defendants in the alleged school fight of December 4, 2006 or the incident at the Gotta Go Convenience store on December 2, 2006.
• The legal cases cited above must be transferred to an alternative venue.
• A special prosecutor must be assigned to prosecute whatever charges (if any) are deemed appropriate on the basis of an independent state police investigation.
• The Civil Rights Division of the United States Department of Justice should launch a full investigation into events in Jena, Louisiana, beginning with the noose incident of August 31, 2006, and culminating in the alleged fight of December 4, 2006 to determine if the civil rights of Jena residents have been violated.
• The inaction of the LaSalle Parish School Board on the noose incident represents a clear violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act. Therefore, a written complaint should be filed with the U.S. Department of Justice.
• The LaSalle Parish school system must institute a rigorous program of diversity education beginning in elementary school and continuing through high school with a particular focus on the history of race relations in America and the virtues of pluralism, mutual respect and equal opportunity. In addition, a yearly, system-wide in-service diversity training program must be provided for teachers and administrators.
Ain't gonna let nobody turn me 'round,
Gonna keep on awalking,
Keep on atalking,
Marching on to Freedom Land.
There's still a long way to go before there's one system of justice for everyone. But thanks to those who are supporting the Jena Six, we will keep marching on to Freedom Land.