Feature Story from BlackPressUSA
George Curry
December 24, 2007
At least the Congressional Black Caucus is trying, which is more than I can say for our national Black leaders. Last week, 14 members of the CBC sent a letter to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blano requesting that she pardon or commute the sentences of the Jena 6.
In announcing the action, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee said, "In order to restore true justice in this case, I am calling for the Governor of Louisiana, Kathleen Blanco, to pardon Mychal Bell immediately. Mychal Bell has been failed by his school district, the Louisiana judicial system, and the United States Department of Justice, and the fight for justice is not over."
Bell recently made a plea deal with the prosecutor that essentially gives him credit for the 10 months he has already served, paving the way for his imminent release, in exchange for agreeing to testify against his five co-defendants. Bell, the only defendant with a known criminal record, admitted striking the White student in a fight that led to charges being filed against the Jena 6. Now it appears that the most culpable of the six is set to sell out the other five young men.
There are some flaws with the CBC approach. The primary one is that typically, a person's sentence is not commuted or a person is not pardoned until after the sentence is imposed. In this case, only Mychal Bell has been sentenced so far and the others are expected to face trial and/or consider a plea deal early next year. While this request from the CBC might be applicable to Bell, at this point it does not help the other five.
Still, I applaud the efforts of Congresswoman Lee and others because at least they are making an effort. But what about all of the others who led the impressive demonstration in Jena? Where are all of the radio "personalities" who broadcast live from Jena – one even exploited the event by having an inappropriate book signing – when the other five young men need them? Sure, they pay lip service to the case, but that's not enough.
Even when the CBC seeks to have an impact in Jena, they are subjected to unfair criticism. Believe me, there are enough reasons to criticize the CBC, but this isn't one of them. I was listening to a talk show on XM radio the other night when several callers lambasted the CBC for waiting this long to call for a pardon for the Jena 6. In reality, as I have explained above, they may be calling for those actions too soon.
Incidentally, I didn't hear a single criticism of Black leaders who are not doing anything about the plight of the other five young men beyond running their mouths. Not one complaint. Don't get me wrong. I have respect for most of our Black leaders and even defend them when they deserve defending. But this is not one of those instances.
The problem always comes in after we've had a watershed moment. We tend to focus on Jesse Jackson's and Al Sharpton's presidential campaigns, the Million Man March and, more recently, the impressive showing in Jena. All were important and necessary events. The issue is always what happens after the event? Sadly, in most cases, nothing. Sure, there were some undeniable political victories as a result of Jackson's 1984 campaign. But no lasting, effective political apparatus was left in place. The same goes for the Million Man March. In each case, there were promises of follow-up but they were as hallow as promises made in Jena.
What's the solution?
I have no solution on the issues of failed leadership except to suggest that we use other Black professional organizations in their particular area of expertise. For example, if we're talking about reforming the criminal justice system, the National Bar Association should be at the forefront of that struggle. If we're talking about reducing or eliminating health disparities, the National Medical Association should be guiding our efforts in that area.
As for Jena, if White leaders there are serious about defusing racial tensions in their community, they should throw out charges against all six teens, as well as any Whites prosecuted on any related charges, and call for community healing. If they refuse to do that, we should return to Jena in even greater numbers than before – with or without Black leaders – to insist on justice. If all that fails and the men are convicted, then we can demand a pardon from the governor.
In the meantime, if Black leaders who helped bring attention to this matter can't join us in this continued effort, it's time to get some new leaders.George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can be reached through his Web site, www.georgecurry.com.
