Lost on the Road to Jena--with some Ques.

[Little32]

I agree that awareness is central to continued action, and I guess that this is where I see the mobilizing potential of this event. This is one of the more egregious examples of injustice that has received significant national coverage in recent years (Katrina aside, because I think that it raises an entirely different set of issues). However, there are other similar incidents happening all of the time, but these things are seen as isolated incidents and not as evidence of a continued and systematic oppression of black people (and I say black people here, because I am specifically speaking to black experiences, not because we are the only ones who have been oppressed). And while it is the responsibility of the adults in the community to educate their children, these national events have some leverage too. (The Montgomery bus boycott, the smaller marches, and the sit-ins did as much to motivate and mobilize folks across the country as did their activism in their own backyards.)

This event and the actions around it had the potential to raise awareness nationally, to put other events into a larger context, and in a way I think that it has. I know that my community continues to have discussions about not only the situation in Jena but also about the lessons that this generation should take from this event (along with more local issues and incidents that need attention); however, I wonder how widespread that is.

Of course, there is also the question of how useful and effective marching actually is as a tool of social change in this day and age. I do think that there were some interesting factors to the way that this event unfolded. For instance, I first heard about the situation in Jena on Facebook, and there were a lot of pages devoted to the topic at its peak. There is also this idea of satellite events, simulteneous action in multiple spaces. I am not sure what to do with that yet, but there is something there.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Little32

And while it is the responsibility of the adults in the community to educate their children, these national events have some leverage too.

It's 100% the responsibility of adults. We should never wait for the media to tell us when to get up off our asses. That's not its responsibility. Community action is what our churches and organizations such as NPHC and the Urban League were founded on. Then we can rightfully protest social injustices and inaccurate media portrayals of us. But continued interest and action on our part comes first.

Originally Posted by Little32

(The Montgomery bus boycott, the smaller marches, and the sit-ins did as much to motivate and mobilize folks across the country as did their activism in their own backyards.)

Because of responsible adults who were too informed and adament to let these protests and boycotts turn into social events.

[Little32]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

It's 100% the responsibility of adults. We should never wait for the media to tell us when to get up off our asses. That's not its responsibility. Community action is what our churches and organizations such as NPHC and the Urban League were founded on. Then we can rightfully protest social injustices and inaccurate media portrayals of us. But continued interest and action on our part comes first.

I don't mean the media coverage is important, but our participation in these national protests is important. Something must be said for media coverage too, and the way that it impacted the course of the Civil Rights movement.

Also, there was a good deal of youth led social protest in the sixties that did not necessarily stem from the guidance of adults in their communities (who in some cases had been subjected to intimidation and threats of violence for so long that they did not know how to seek change--and this is also my assessment of the climate in Jena), but rather was brought about through their interaction with 'outside agitators' and their understanding of their role in the larger context of the movement.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by Little32

Also, there was a good deal of youth led social protest in the sixties that did not necessarily stem from the guidance of adults in their communities (who in some cases had been subjected to intimidation and threats of violence for so long that they did not know how to seek change--and this is also my assessment of the climate in Jena), but rather was brought about through their interaction with 'outside agitators' and their understanding of their role in the larger context of the movement.

"Youth" as in kids or "youth" as in young adults, mostly college students.
It was mostly the latter, who I consider to be adults.

People under the age of 18 weren't doing too many of the protests then or now. And the organized protests that were started weren't started because a group of kids got together and were outraged to action.

[ladygreek]

Originally Posted by Little32

Also, there was a good deal of youth led social protest in the sixties that did not necessarily stem from the guidance of adults in their communities

I beg to differ. Those protest were led by young adults--many in college. And they did receive guidance from adult community activists of which there were many in those days. Also our institutions were more involved then and served as catalysts for these protests.