Michael Baisden is wrong and should apologize.
by George Cook 11/09/07

I'm mad right now. Very mad to be exact.

Now I have kept my mouth shut since September and said all of the right things during interviews and have always gave credit to Michael Baisden and Al Sharpton for the media presence and attention they brought to the Jena 6 case. But Michael Baisden has messed up and I will no longer remain silent.

But recent allegations against groups made on Michael Baisden's show on 11/06/07 by Marcus Jones who is Mychal Bell's father suggesting that certain groups including Colors of Change and Friends of Justice are doing something shiesty with money donated to the Jena 6 are the last straw.

Now I can't speak for Color of Change but they do that very well on this web page http://colorofchange.org/jena/baisden/ of their site.

But as for Friends of Justice I will personally vouch for it's founder Alan Bean's integrity. Now to be fair it was Marcus Jones not Micheal Baisden who made any allegations against Friends of Justice claiming he didn't even know who they were.

I found that odd since Friends of Justice was one of the first organizations to help the Jena 6 families especially when it came to what little media attention they got early on. How do I know this?

When I first heard of the Jena 6 I contacted Howard Witt of The Chicago Tribune who was one of the first if not the first American journalist to cover the Jena 6 story. He refereed me to Alan Bean of Friends of Justice saying that Alan was the one that let him know of the case and would know a whole lot more than he did. Alan also got the BBC ( British Broadcasting Company ) involved with the story. I have interviewed Alan twice and found him to be very honest. He is the type of man who will admit he doesn't know something before he will lie or give you a half truth.

Alan traveled to Jena several times using his own money to attend meetings and the trial sessions. This man never asked the Jena 6 families for anything but was only trying to help and I believe he did. I know Michael Baisden didn't make these allegations but I believe that he does owe Alan Bean and Friends of Justice an apology since the false allegations were made on his show.

But you know what is really making me mad?

The total ignoring of those bloggers and web sites who kept this story alive by Al Sharpton and Micheal Baisden. These two are running the last lap of a relay race and forgetting that others ran the first three and they are just the latest to receive the baton. Before either of them knew how to spell Jena or knew where the hell it was it was the African American Online Community helping the Jena 6 and keeping the story alive.

Now many of these sites and bloggers didn't do it for the glory or recognition, they did it for the Jena 6. I'm sure they probably don't care if they are ever acknowledged but dammit it's about time someone did. Here is a list of some of the great blogs and web sites that have been on this story from the beginning:

http://www.blackagendareport.com/index.php
http://whataboutourdaughters.blogspot.com/
http://blackwomenineurope.blogspot.com/
http://afrospear.wordpress.com/
http://www.aapoliticalpundit.blogspot.com/
http://angryindian.blogspot.com/
http://elleabd.blogspot.com/2007/05/jena-six.html
http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/jena-6/
http://pursuingholiness.com/2007/06/26/jena-6-update/
http://www.whileseated.org/photo/003244.shtml
http://www.colorofchange.org/
http://aaopinion.blogspot.com/
http://www.notmytribe.com/2007/justice/the-jena-6.html
http://thefreeslave.wordpress.com/2007/06/29/free-the-jena-6/
http://brightminds.wordpress.com/2007/07/11/the-white-tree-the-jena-6/
http://whyblackwomenareangry.blogspot.com/

There are dozens more and if you know of any send me the name and I will post it.

The last thing I have to get off my chest is what seems to be a consolidation of everything concerning the Jena 6 into Michael Baisden's and Al Sharptons control. Now if that's what they want to do fine. I can understand wanting to have control over all monies collected and what information is released to the public. But don't disparage other groups that have been helping minorities recieve justice in the United States with false allegations. Just admit what you are doing and say why. That's being honest.

This is no time to have a" my civil rights penis is bigger than yours" contest

The last thing we need is for groups, blogs, and web sites, all fighting for the same goal to be at each others throats. Maybe it's time for a meeting of all parties involved and to have things hashed so that everyone is on the same page. Right now all these false allegations are not helping the Jena 6 and neither is the bunker mentality that is taking over.

Remember people we are trying to help the Jena 6 and trying to improve the justice system in the United States and we should never loose focus on that goal.

Have a nice day people.
George Cook www.letstalkhonestly.com

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