Denver Jena 6 set to rally tonight
Until Wednesday, A Denver woman had never organized a protest against anything. But something about the story of the Jena 6 — six black Louisiana youths many feel were charged unfairly with attempted murder after beating a white student — stirred her heart. She started calling and e-mailing friends, trying to figure out what she could do and settled on holding a march.
"I just said, 'OK, I'm going to go for it,'" she said. "I've never done anything like this. But I said I'm going to go out and march, even if it's just by myself."
Williams is one of several people in the metro area taking grassroots action to support the Louisiana youths, as marchers from across
"A lot of people think they don't have a voice or they can't do anything," said Denver filmmaker donnie l. betts, one or the organizers of tonight's rally. "But if you give them the tools, they can do that."
So on Wednesday evening, with chants and signs and the rhythmic thumping of bongo drums, Williams led a group marchers out of Denver's City Park and down Colfax Avenue to the state capitol to raise awareness about the story of the Jena 6. They handed out flyers to shop owners, to bums, to people waiting for the bus and to people smoking outside of bars. They waived and cheered whenever a passing motorist honked.
It didn't much matter there were only 13 of them marching, not counting the toddler in a stroller. It's not so.
Denver resident Rene Marie said she heard about the case only recently but said she was floored by what she sees as an unequal treatment of the Jena 6.
"It kind of hails back to something from the 1930s to me," said Marie, who is a noted jazz singer. "Everybody I know is shaking their head incredulous that something like this is happening."
Marie said she initially felt helpless to do something, but then began talking to friends, including betts, and decided to put together tonight's rally.
"It's to give people a chance to actually do something about the situation, other than just talk about it or shake their head," she said.
A.J. Greene, an Aurora resident, said he heard about the case in March, while listening to a Los Angeles radio station online.
"To do nothing would just be saying you're accepting it," Greene said. "I can't do that."
Greene said he has been passing out flyers for the last six months, giving them to all his friends leaving them on car windshields in a Target parking lot near his house. He got a T-shirt store to print up shirts in support of the Jena 6. And he attended Wednesday night's march. Greene said he is happy the case is now getting widespread attention, but hopes the notice won't die as quickly as it's grown.
"My biggest worry is after tomorrow that will be it," he said. "And then what will happen to the other kids? I'm happy for it to catch on anytime, as long as it keeps going."
The Associated Press, the Chicago Tribune and the Los Angeles Times contributed to this report
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