Not Just Jena’s Problem
As Christians, we are called to confront racism in all its forms. We can respond in a variety of ways. For direct action opportunities, please see the Color of Change Web site.
What is happening in Jena, Louisiana, is a reflection of racism in every community in the United States and the need for dialogue is greater than ever. Get involved locally and within your own communities to talk about the issues of race and racism.
Find out what’s happening in your presbytery. Is there an antiracism team? Does your presbytery have a Peacemaking Committee? Do they work on racial justice issues?
Has your congregation or presbytery held an antiracism training event to learn about systemic racism? Presbyterian Women (PW) has trained facilitators in every synod to conduct antiracism training. Contact the PW synod or presbytery moderator to find out who’s available in your region, or contact the Office for Racial Justice and Advocacy for the names of PW members and others who are trained facilitators.
There are many ways to create space for constructive dialogue. Consider using the following resources:
A DVD with study guide produced by Presbyterian Women, 2007. Designed to encourage meaningful dialogue about racism and to equip people of faith to work together to eradicate racism and bring about the beloved community that God intends. The DVD has four 15-minute segments. The accompanying study guide includes questions for reflection and dialogue.
$20.00
PDS#PWR06120
Law, Eric H. F. Presbyterian Peacemaking Program, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), 2004. This six-session study teaches communication guidelines, mutual invitation, community bible study, and power analysis and explores how to use these tools to build community in the face of racism and other factors that divide us.
$3.00
PDS#7027004014
Other Resources
Study Circles Resource Center
Provides a variety of resources for community groups working a wide range of issues, including racism, youth issues and criminal justice. Some of their resources are available in Spanish. These resources include:
Facing Racism in a Diverse Nation
A six-session discussion guide to help all kinds of people take part in meaningful dialogue to examine gaps among racial and ethnic groups and create institutional and policy change. May purchase online for $5.00 or download from the Web site.
Dialogue for Affinity Groups
A supplemental guide intended to give people with similar racial or ethnic backgrounds an opportunity to talk about issues of racism. (2006) Available as a downloadable document.
What is happening in Jena is a reflection of racism
Is not this the fast that I choose: to loose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke?
(Isaiah 58:6 NRSV)
“When nooses are being hung in high schools in the 21st century, it’s a tragedy. It shows that we still have a lot of work to do as a nation to heal our racial tensions. This isn’t just Jena’s problem; it’s America’s problem.”
- United States Senator Barack Obama
Nooses hanging on school campuses and on the back of trucks and hate-filled Web sites publishing addresses of six young black men are symbols not of the past but of the present. In the recent events occurring in Jena, Louisiana, our nation has been issued a wake up call to the depth of racism that still resides in our society. In August of 2006, three nooses were found hanging from a tree at Jena High School after some black students sat under it. This was dismissed as a prank, and those involved were briefly suspended. A few months later, six black students were arrested after a school fight in which a white student was beaten. He suffered a concussion and multiple bruises. The six black students were charged with attempted second-degree murder and conspiracy. The charge later was reduced to aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy to commit aggravated second-degree battery. These students have come to be known as the Jena Six. One of the teenagers, Mychal Bell, was the first to stand trial and was found guilty of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy.
On September 20, 2007 more than 10,000 people gathered in a grassroots movement and marched together in a peaceful civil rights demonstration in support of the Jena Six. This powerful witness, however, has led to continuing acts of hatred. Two men were arrested near Jena that day while driving a truck around with nooses hanging off the back, and nooses were found hanging from trees at a high school in North Carolina the day after the march. Web sites publishing the names and addresses of the Jena 6 promoting hatred were put online.
The noose is a powerful symbol with a clear message of hate and direct threat of violence. When they are being dismissed as a prank we as Christians must respond. It evokes memories of a time when lynchings were used to control and intimidate African-American communities. It is an instrument of death, and any public display should be treated with the same seriousness as a student walking around campus with a gun.
"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." We hear the words of 1 John 4:18 as a renewed calling. In this time where fear still abides, a sense of urgency must swell within us. In becoming a beloved community, we must take action against the barriers to privileges large and small that characterize contemporary racism in Jena and throughout our own communities."
We Respond
As Christians, we are called to confront racism in all its forms. We can respond in a variety of ways. For direct action opportunities, please see the Color of Change Web site.
What is happening in Jena is a reflection of racism in every community in the United States, and the need for dialogue is greater than ever. Get involved locally and within your own communities to talk about the issues of race and racism. We are calling local churches to create safe space for people to dialogue about issues of racial justice and healing that still needs to go on within your own communities.
We recognize the severity of the charges as a common occurrence across our country and an example of the ways racism is played out within the criminal justice system. The case itself demonstrates the way our judicial system treats people disparately. According to the 2000 United States Census, 69 percent of the nation’s population is White, 12 percent Black, 13 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian, and 1 percent Native American. More half of all those incarcerated in the United States are persons of color, a figure that does not mirror the population. You can learn more about the prison system and have a study/action guide. Order or download “Resolution Calling for the Abolition of For-Profit Private Prisons."
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