Jena 6 update: Mychal Bell freed on bail

On Sept. 28, Mychal Bell—one of the Jena 6—was freed from prison on $45,000 bail. Bell spent nearly 10 months in

jail. He was accused and then convicted as an adult aggravated battery for participating in a schoolyard fight with a racist white student.

The Jena 6 are six young Black men who face serious prison time for defending themselves in a climate of racist intimidation and terror. The fight that they are charged with instigating occurred after a series of racist acts by a group of white youth targeting Jena, La.’s small African American population.

Bell’s release was secured only by massive pressure from a grassroots civil rights movement. Over 50,000 people, mostly African Americans, marched in Jena—a town of 3500 people—on Sept. 20 to demand freedom for the Jena 6. The struggle is not over. The racist prosecutor has pledged to try Bell as a juvenile. The other five youth also still face charges.

Free the Jena 6! Drop the charges now!