Free Jena 6 bill presented

Weinberg sophomore Jesse Yang presented a bill, entitled Free the Jena 6, to have the Northwestern student body and Associated Student Government officially call for charges dropped against the six black students in the Jena, La. case and to have the student body and ASG call for the resignation of the Jena School District superintendent Reed Walters.

In his speech, Yang called for the university's students and ASG to "condemn the injustices levied against these six men" and "promote awareness and action within the NU community."

Yang described the incidents leading up to the Jena 6 case, by starting with the tree that acted as a symbol of racism when white students hung nooses off the tree a black student sat under.

"If that is not a message of hate," Yang said, "then I for one, don't know what is."

Yang continued to draw parallels between Evanston to Jena.

"Evanston would not be found with a white's only tree," Yang said. He continued by pointing out the divisions between the east and west parts of Evanston.

"Is the east side of Evanston not known as the white side? Is the west side of Evanston not known as the black side?"

These divisions, he argued, also showed economic divisions between the city.

"The real problem is that we're letting racism live on," Yang said.  "I urge you all to condemn this — that in the year 2008, we will not stand for injustice."

—ALICE TRUONG