By: Erin Moore for Body1Thousands rallied Thursday in support of black students accused of attacking a white student in the controversial “Jena 6” case. The small, mostly white, central Louisiana town of Jena has been marked by racial tension – especially in the last several months. Starting the recent rash of hostility was a racially charged incident in which a group of white students hung nooses from a tree in the courtyard. Then in December, a white student was attacked and knocked unconscious by several black students. These black students have come to be known as the “Jena 6.”
The Jena 6 were initially charged with attempted murder, but charges for three of the five students have been lessened. One of the six, Mychal Bell, awaited sentencing Thursday. Bell, 17, has been in prison since his December arrest. Jena 6 supporters, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, say they are scapegoats and their treatment is part of a larger scheme of injustice in this country.
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