On June 26, 2009, with the news of the death of Michael Jackson reaching a frenzy, CNN did a brief follow-up report on the Jena 6 on Wolf Blitzer’s The Situation Room (excerpt of CNN transcript below).
CNN’s recap of the incident involving the 6 boys, whose picture was then plastered on the screen, portrayed the boys as predators in their attack on white kids. No mention at all was made of the nooses — with the obvious links to a history of lynching of blacks in this country — hung by white kids on the tree under which the black boys sat.
In a very ironic twist, the story immediately following this recap and follow-up was "A special look at how Jackson broke down racial barriers…." MJ helps break them down, while CNN, the supposed liberal arm of the media propaganda mill, plays its role in maintaining, or building, them back up by excusing the actions of the white kid, Justin Barker, because he was a victim of violence by blacks.
The point: you do not assault the master, regardless of his actions — not back in the colonial Global South, not now in apartheid Israel and the occupied territories, and in the U.S. where institutional and systemic racism persists.
It’s obvious there is still much work to be done to guarantee equality in this country, in spite of the legacy of individuals such as Michael Jackson and Barack Obama. This is yet again proof that the progress of a nation cannot be judged by the achievements of the elite and celebrated few, but must be measured by the state of the ordinary many.
Five of the black teens known as the Jena six pled no contest to the beating of a white classmate. The students will serve seven days’ probation and pay a $500 fine and court costs. The group initially faced attempted murder charges in the 2006 attack on Justin Barker. Barker has a civil suit against the group. Wolf? BLITZER: All right Brianna, thank you. To our viewers, you’re in THE SITUATION ROOM. Happening now, the world remembers a musical icon. We have reporters standing by to bring you up to date on all the latest developments on the sudden death of Michael Jackson. A special look at how Jackson broke down racial barriers and helped other black artists make it big. Many are wondering what happens to his three young children. Will there be custody challenges? We’re working that story, as well. http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0906/26/sitroom.02.html
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