Raise your hands. How many thought Imus’ comment was the worst racist thing going on in the US today?

Racism goes on trial again in America’s Deep South

In the cool and beflagged small courtroom in Jena, Louisiana, three black schoolboys – Robert Bailey, Theodore Shaw and Mychal Bell – are about to go on trial for a playground fight that could see them jailed for between 30 and 50 years.

Jena, about 220 miles north of New Orleans, is a small town of 3,000 people, 85 per cent of whom are white. Tomorrow it will be the focus for a race trial which could put it on the map alongside the bad old names of the Mississippi Burning Sixties such as Selma or Montgomery, Alabama.

Jena is gaining national notoriety as an example of the new ‘stealth’ racism, showing how lightly sleep the demons of racial prejudice in America’s Deep South, even in the year that a black man, Barak Obama, is a serious candidate for the White House.



  1. Libertican says:

    Stealth? Racism is alive and well in the United States.

    Ironically, Imus comments were more sexist than racist, but as a white man, I am not attracted to the majority of black women either, so I could see myself maybe making the same comments without a concsious racist intent. I just prefer looking at white women, but I would also expect to be fired or suspended if I said it at work.

    As for racism in the Southern US, I bemoan when whites get angry at blacks for remembering slavery. The usual melodramatic logic is “you were never a slave, so why are you so mad at whites?”. Unfortunately, most young white people don’t remember the harrowing racist times of Jim Crow laws, white privilege and government-sanctioned racism in the South. However, every black person in the South, both young and old fear the vicious cycle of poor education, limited opportunity through job discrimination, criminal racial profiling and poverty.

    Whenever a prominent white person says something that is even moderately racist, the black population knows that there are millions of whites that think and act the same way everyday.

  2. RTaylor says:

    Dave, racism is alive and flourishing all over the planet.

  3. Wally the Engineer says:

    Interesting that this story hasn’t made news media in the US of A other than this blog…

    It was always the rich that fostered racism in the poor to keep the poow white people from asking them why they didn’t spread the wealth out with them.

    Hopefully, the ACLU/NAACP will be able to provide real legal council for the accused so they might get a fair trial, or even apeal.(more likely)

  4. Qsabe says:

    Racism is alive and well, and mostly it exist in the black population. It is the easy excuse for any failing a personality might have on their own. I would prefer a world without race, but so long as it continues to be the focus for so much antagonism, it will always be there.

  5. Greg Allen says:

    Racism is alive and well, and mostly it exist in the black population.

    I think you are confusing racism with bigotry or prejudice.

    Racism is a social system — not just a bias.

    If America were black racist, then the blacks would have most of the power and wealth which, of course, is not the case.

  6. Lauren the Ghoti says:

    Ain’t happening, Brian.

    Until the time comes when every human looks and acts exactly like every other human – and I’m not holding my breath for that development – people will always note the differences between individuals and differences between groups.

    And since people will always note differences, a large percentage of people will, being of generally average intelligence, not thoroughly understand those differences, or misunderstand them.

    Since much of humankind will always misunderstand and misconstue individual and group differences, many of their actions involving other individuals and groups, based as they are on faulty reasoning, will be inappropriate and wrongful.

    This will never change – or at least not until the majority of people are above average in intelligence.

  7. natefrog says:

    6) I don’t think it’s possible to respond to that question without sounding like a modern-day Hitler. . .

  8. natefrog says:

    . . .And I ask again, why oh why did we fight to keep the south in our Union? Just think about how much better off we would be without them!

  9. Rob says:

    #9, if we didn’t have the south, we wouldn’t have Chick-Fil-A. That would have been a terrible loss.

  10. BubbaRay says:

    In Ursula K Le Guin’s novel “The Lathe of Heaven” there isn’t any color. A masterpiece of fiction.

    When William Haber directs George Orr to dream a world without racism, the skin of everyone on the planet becomes a uniform light gray. Oh, what would happen to the KKK? Would the “G” word be banned?

    Wasn’t this on PBS years ago?

  11. Mr. Fusion says:

    #2, RT, very true. Although it is not just race that divides people. Nationalities and religion also work. Any difference becomes an excuse to discriminate.

    Go to Montana and it is the native Americans who are the lowest caste. Go to Northern Ireland and it will be the Catholics. Go to Russia and it will be the Chechnya. Try most of Europe and it will be the Roma, Muslim, or African. In Turkey the Kurds are the lowest. Go to Japan and it will be anyone not Japanese.

    As #7 put it. Just too damn many average intelligence people. It must be their fault my life is so miserable. :-p

  12. tallwookie says:

    I used to live in New Orleans, for about 3 yrs – racism in the Deep South is part of the culture, unfortunately. That sort of thing happens all the time down there

  13. John Scott says:

    It’s sad to say that racism is strong, it’s just underground. I think some of the problem stems from some blacks (not All!) that feel they are owed something extra than just to be treated equal. But some form of descrimination exsists in many of us. Even in muslim countries such as Iraq we see strong feelings against people of different faiths. I think blacks have a hard time dealing with the high crime that their race has faced. It’s no different than southern people being red necks and blondes being dumb. We see prisons mostly housing blacks so we feel all blacks are criminal. We know that this is not the case but it’s what we see that influences our beliefs. The best thing African Americans could do is work internally to bring their kids up with better values rather than blaming someone else for their problems.

  14. Joe says:

    the most anyone should have gotten was assult & battery charges. As for the town in general, I always hated the idea that one has to meet a quota for anything. why should you have to sell anything to anyone, if those real estate agents don’t want to sell to blacks, fine. I can go there and set up a real etsate office nearby and I’ll sell to anyone, + I’ll promise the homeowner more money if he doesn’t limit his options to oe type of people with the simple saying “in the end the money is all green”

    BTY where is all the attention for the rape / mutualion / murder of a white couple by five blacks. should they be tried any easier cuase there black.

  15. Joe says:

    in case your wondering here’s a link to to the Channon Christian and Christopher Newsom murder from wikiepedia

    http://tinyurl.com/2palzg

    [Please use tinyurl.com for long URLs. – ed.]

  16. hhopper says:

    #9, #10 – Even worse you wouldn’t have Hooters!

  17. mark says:

    I lived in the Caribbean for many years. I experienced a reverse discrimination being in the 15% minority, so I can actually sympathize as a caucasian (I am defintely not white) with the experience of racism. A funny thing though, the natives of my island were prejudice against the natives of the nearby island (St Thomas) who were prejudiced against the natives from down island ( Dominica, St Kitts, St Lucia, etc) who emigrated to the US territory for a better life. This inter-island discrimination was blatant and often violent.

  18. BubbaRay says:

    #18, mark, I really don’t care what color you are or what your nationality is, insightful comments are always fun to read. My neighborhood in TX is white, asian, mex, black, and we all seem to get along pretty well. Seems like intelligent folks are less likely to be racist, but maybe that’s just my neck of the woods.

    Even guys named “Bubba” aren’t always ignorant jerks. 🙂

    #17, Hop, you are correct sir, wasn’t Hooters started in Florida??

  19. John Paradox says:

    Wasn’t this on PBS years ago?
    Lathe of Heaven was actually done twice. The PBS version (which is available on tape, at least) and a later version that ‘remade’ it.

    I have seen/have(let me check…) both, and actually prefer the PBS version.

    J/P=?

  20. Jacen says:

    First, I’m with Carlos Mencia about the Imus thing: What the hell are you talking about? The dude got fired for saying something a lot of people didn’t even understand, to say nothing about knowing the phrase was an insult (I sure didn’t). To even suggest the comment (which was aired when relatively no one was listening: it was late night commentary on ladies basketball…come on) was anything even remotely like a demonstration of the nation’s racism, doesn’t make the slightest bit of sense.

    This, however, doesn’t make a whole lot of sense either. Why not make a case for black victims? Why make the case out of the 6 kids who ganged up on 1 white guy, and beat him into a hospital bed? The article names a number of things that are clearly racist, and things that certainly deserve retribution, but not a single lawsuit (civil or otherwise) was brought on any of those issues, as far as the article presents. So we latch onto the trial of 6 black kids who beat the crap out of 1 white guy… Sorry, I don’t think that makes a whole lot of sense either.

    Instead of brings a civil lawsuit against the white racists, we point to the–as yet non-existent–punishment of 6 black kids (who did almost kill someone) and complain “too hash”. Sorry, but this won’t advance our cause against racism either.

  21. Angel H. Wong says:

    And don’t forget that for some bigots Wetback is the new N*gg*r..

  22. hhopper says:

    BubbaRay,

    The original Hooters was just a couple of miles from where I used to live in Clearwater, FL.

  23. joshua says:

    Your all wrong……the most important thing to come out of the South was…….KRISPY KREME DONUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    sheesh 🙂

  24. OhForTheLoveOf says:

    #17 – And that would be a loss? I mean is it really that hard for some of you guys to see girls in tank tops?

    #19 – I think you are right that intelligence is the dividing line between racist and not racist. Another line might be self awareness, as one can see a lack of demonstrated in #4.

  25. Phil Wade says:

    #9 – We sure wish you would not have!

    As far as racism in the South, let’s ask ourselves where the last major city forced to bus to integrate the schools was. And where the last major violence against forced busing occurred. Drum roll, please! Boston, MA. Yes indeedy. Most of the violence over integration took place in the northern states, such as Ohio (Cleveland), Michigan (Detroit), Illinois (Chicago) and of course the above mentioned Boston. So don’t slop tar all over yourself running down the South.

    Finally, in regard to the thread, those boys administered a cold blooded butt kicking. They were lucky he did not die. I live 40 miles from Jena and my mother in law lived there for many years. The people there are no different from small town people anywhere. It is insular and totally resistant to change. So, yes, they will be found guilty and I hope, sentenced accordingly. It is no different than the New Jersey case where a gang of white boys beat up a black kid and had the book thrown at them for hate crimes.

  26. natefrog says:

    #10, 17) Anyone see the season finale of Family Guy tonight? Along similar lines, I wager the loss of those two items would be an acceptable trade-off for having a “southless” Union (or at least one where “south” means “Illinois”). In fact, we wouldn’t have Bush as our buffoon president now. . .

  27. Greg Allen says:

    #6

    Brian,

    So, are you saying tat racism and bigotry are synonyms? I don’t think so, even if that’s what first comes up on Google.

    Of course, blacks can be bigoted against whites. I’m sure many are. (not without reason).

    But the term racism — as generally used — talks about a larger system and social phenomenon like like classism, nationalism, and sexism. In America, racism as a system is a white phenomenon as evidenced by who holds the power. To claim that racism is black, is a shallow understanding of the phenomenon (and a diversionary tactic of the white racists.)

    Racism as a system is what public policy can change. We can outlaw racist discrimination in school admissions, loans, hiring, etc — but we can’t outlaw personal bigotry.

    And, it has worked fairly well. For example, every doctor I saw as a kid what a white male. Now I see all kinds. This is reflected at every level of society. But, of course, racism as not disappeared but I hope it is in retreat as long as we don’t give up the fight against it as many argue for.

  28. traaxx says:

    Greg

    Does this mean an individual can’t be a racist? What is a bigot, someone with strongly held beliefs? I thought apartheid was the institutional method of racism?? Most of the blacks I’ve known are prejudiced. So are the Asians and Latinos. The only group I’ve seen knock themselves out to not be prejudiced are Caucasians.

    Personally, I don’t care if someone thinks I’m prejudiced or not, the entire label has been used for everything from immigration to school lunches. The color of any individual matters less than their culture and values. That means, if I don’t associate with you, it’s probably because I don’t like you for you values and culture not your color.

    I see all kinds of doctors now also, when I get one that can actually speak English I’m pretty happy and usually write their name down. As often as not they can’t speak English well, and it’s a pain trying to understand them. Mind you, they don’t care if we understand them or not, they already have the job. How can someone get through school and not be able to speak English, it just an affirmative action thing.

    But don’t worry, with all the Spanish speaking broad minded Mexican invaders coming into the US; I’m sure they won’t even bother worrying about being prejudiced or speaking English. As for jobs, well they seem to prefer ingrouping within their ethnic groups and don’t like other people of color.

    Racism, prejudice, bigotry?? I really don’t care – we live in a country where Spanish will shortly be the major language and racism will occur anyway, as demonstrated by Mexico and California. I’m sure African Americans and Native Americans will do very well with the broadminded Mexicans. We can always look to Mexico for an example of Latin broadminded policies. As for me, I’m learning Spanish and wondering about dying my hair and getting a tan.

  29. traaxx says:

    After reading the article, I have to say something sounds false in it. I wonder if this ever happened or is a hoax of some sort. Either way, I don’t think everything was related in the story, or fabrication more likely. It sounds like every NAACP clichĂ© that’s ever been written.

    If it’s true then we should hear something nationally, if it’s false then it’ll slip beneath the other liberal lies. Kind of like the Duke Lacrosse rape allegations.

  30. ECA says:

    An Asshole is an Asshole, no matter, RACE COLOR CREED or land of Birth…
    Iv seen balcks that hated Blacks. And wanted to be White.


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