September 19, 2007

Barbara Lee's Statment in Support of the Jena 6

(Washington, DC) – As protests took place in Jena, LA and Washington, DC in support of six black teenagers initially charged with attempted murder after a school yard fight with a white classmate, Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) issued the following statement in support of the “Jena Six”:

“The injustice in the case of the six young people from Jena, Louisiana is disgraceful, and it is unacceptable. I commend the protests taking place today in Louisiana and on Capitol Hill, and I add my voice to those demanding justice for the Jena six.

“I believe that we have come too far from the days of Jim Crow to tolerate this type of racist miscarriage of justice.

If we are ever to overcome the tragic legacy of racism in this nation, we have a duty to our young people to see to it that the principle of equal justice is upheld. If we truly believe in our nation’s principle of equality before the law, then we have to make sure that everyone, regardless of race, is held equal before the law.”

###