Union Members Rally in Support of ‘Jena Six’

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2007/09/20/union-members-rally-in-support-of-jena-six/

Union Members Rally in Support of ‘Jena Six’

by James Parks, Sep 20, 2007

Thousands of union members, civil rights activists and community leaders around the country will march in solidarity with six African American teenagers who face lengthy prison sentences for a school yard fight in nearly all-white Jena, La.

As many as 40,000 supporters of the teens are expected for the march in Jena, while thousands more will march and rally today in dozens of cities across the country such as Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Baltimore and Atlanta to demand that the judicial system treat the students fairly. Others are making personal statements by wearing black today to protest the situation.

AFT Secretary-Treasurer Nat LaCour, a Louisiana native and chair of the AFL-CIO Civil and Human Rights Committee, says in a statement:

Fairness and objectivity in the judicial system is a hard-fought-for right of all Americans. The current situation faced by the six young men in Jena strikes an unfortunate chord in the minds of those of us who lived, fought and triumphed during the civil rights era. Nearly 50 years after standing up to racial injustice, all Americans should be concerned and offended by the blatant discrepancies in the charges stemming from a school yard fight and for the apparent dereliction of power exhibited by public officials in Jena.

Yesterday, national NAACP officials presented petitions with nearly 200,000 signatures to Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco (D), calling for fair treatment of the Jena Six and expressing concern for the disturbing climate that led to an escalation of events in the town. NAACP Chairman Julian Bond says:

This is an American outrage that demonstrates the continuing shame of racial division in our country.

FULL story at link.

[nofurylike]

1. YES! thank you for posting this excellent news, Omaha Steve!

again, labor knows and shows the way.


peace and solidarity!