1st of Jena 6 to be sentenced 9/20 Come to Jena to help stop it

1st of Jena 6 to be sentenced 9/20 Come to Jena to help stop it
** please give a kick to keep it up there ***
On September 20th, Mychal Bell--the first of the Jena 6 to be convicted--is scheduled for sentencing. If the District Attorney has his way, Mychal will face 22 years in prison. It's a horrifying moment for Mychal, his parents, and the rest of the Jena 6 families. It's also a perfect time for those who can to come to Jena, in person, and stand with them. We know it's a serious time and financial commitment, but we wanted to give you the opportunity to join the hundreds of people who have already emailed us to say that they will come. If you can join us, please click on the link below to RSVP:

http://colorofchange.org/jena/rsvp.html

Our presence in Jena--in large numbers--will help focus media attention on the situation in Jena, escalate pressure on Louisiana public officials, and most importantly, show the families of the Jena 6, especially Mychal Bell and his parents, that we will stand with them in the face of this injustice.

On July 31st, with only a few days to prepare, 300 people from across the country rallied at the Jena Courthouse. We delivered a petition signed by 43,000 ColorOfChange.org members to the District Attorney demanding that he drop the charges against the Jena 6. It was a powerful day that made it clear that the Jena 6 and their families won't have to fight on their own. Since then, more than 100,000 people have taken action and contacted the Governor, media attention to the case has grown, and we have an even bigger opportunity to make a profound impact.

As we plan for this event, we want to get a sense of how many people can commit to coming to Jena. Below are some details about getting there, so you can figure out if you'll be able to join us.

Details

If you're flying to Louisiana, the closest airports to Jena are Alexandria (45 minute drive) and Monroe (1.5 hour drive). You can also fly to Lafayette (2.25 hour drive), Shreveport (2.75 hour drive), Baton Rouge (3 hour drive), New Orleans (4.25 hour drive), or Houston (about a 5 hour drive). The closest hotels are in Pineville and Alexandria. As they fill up, we'd recommend staying at hotels near the airports above.

If travelling from out of town, you'll want to get to Louisiana the night before, as things will start early in the morning, probably by 8am or 9am. Organizers will meet you when you arrive at a central location in Jena and get you situated for the day. We will be providing maps, organizers' cell phone numbers, and other information closer to the day-of; you will be able to reach someone in case you have any problems, need directions, or have questions along the way.

RSVP

Once you're confident you can come, please rsvp at the following:

http://colorofchange.org/jena/rsvp.html

If you have questions, you can send them to jena@colorofchange.org .

If you can't come, don't worry. We'll be sending emails soon with more ways to take action between now and the 20th. Whatever your participation, we thank you for your ongoing commitment to justice for the Jena 6. It continues to be our privilege to be part of such a powerful community of support for these young men.

Thanks and Peace,

-- James Rucker
Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org
August 28th, 2007

Louisiana State NAACP Convention is that week in Alexandria and there will be a Louisiana NAACP presence the morning of September 20th.

On September 20th, we expect more than two thousand ColorOfChange members to come to Jena, LA to protest the sentencing of Mychal Bell, the first of the Jena 6 to be convicted. We're organizing a national Day of Action for that day, so you can help take the rally, and the issue, beyond Jena and into communities all across the country. The first step is to get a "Free the Jena 6" t-shirt to wear on the 20th.

To get your shirt by the 20th, you need to place your order by Thursday, September 6th at midnight (after the 6th, the t-shirt provider will send your order but can't guarantee that it will arrive by the 20th).

http://www.colorofchange.org/jena/shirts/

Over 130,000 ColorOfChange.org members have taken action on behalf of the Jena 6 so far. Tens of thousands of you wearing these shirts on the 20th will be an action in itself, but there will be more that you can do.

Closer to the 20th, we'll be providing flyers that you can download and hand out to people who ask about your shirt; you can also post them in local businesses, cafes, and other places. Building word-of-mouth awareness is critical; it's the reason so many of you have already taken action and why more people join this fight every day.

On the Day of Action, we'll also ask you to flood Louisiana state officials and agencies--particularly those who care about the state's reputation and who have influence on the Governor--with phone calls. And we will publicize not only the action happening in Jena, but the local actions you take, broadening the coverage, and making it clear that there's national support for these young men.

Again, thank you again for working to support the Jena 6. Together, we will make a difference.

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Van, Gabriel, Clarissa, Mervyn, and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
September 5th, 2007


P.S. With help from Goodstorm, we're able to offer the shirts at the low cost of $10 (plus shipping), and all proceeds will go directly towards the legal defense of the Jena 6. If you'd like to make an additional donation towards their legal defense, click here:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/jena_fund/