The “Color of Change” Enters the Jena Six Fiasco
On October 24, 2007 I wrote an article titled, HOLD UP! Don’t Send Another DIME to Jena6 Fund Until We Get Some Answers! I stand by that article 100%. Until those young men can explain to America why they were photographed with dollar bills hanging off of their bodies like ignorant ghetto rats at the expense of people who worked hard and gave from their hearts, DO NOT send them another penny. I mean that. Keep your money in your own bank account.What do they think this is? Somebody convinced them that they are stars. We see them showing up at the Grammy’s profiling. They need to be laying low at this time. Ignorance is NOT bliss.Now today I received a tip from two different HickTown residents. The tip involved an organization called Color of Change. Apparently radio personality, Michael Baisden has announced on his program that he does not trust that organization and has advised people not to send any money (on behalf of the Jena Six) to that organization.
Marcus Bell (father of Mychal)came onto the Baisden program and said in plain English that likewise, he does not want that organization collecting any money on behalf of his son. He does not trust the organization.
In response, the organization, Color of Change, has sent out emails all across the internet to try to repair or salvage their image and has asked Michael Baisden for an apology. They also are trying to justify why they want to continue collecting money.
THAT is what I find shaky. If you do not want me to do you a favor, no problem You will not hear from me again. I am veeeeeeery suspicious of anyone who wants to FORCE the issue after they have been told, no thanks.
HickTown residents and lurkers PLEASE, I BEG YOU. DO NOT SEND ANOTHER DOLLAR towards the Jena Six fund (to any organization) until further notice. I am STILL waiting to find out what the Jena Six families are doing with that money, beyond profiling.
Close your wallet! Period. Point Blank.
Lights out until we get some answers.
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[...] way of outing Color of Change, they are the group who immediately took up the cause of the Jenna Six, the black teenagers convicted of viciously beating white student Justin Barker, at a Louisiana [...]
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This has become one big mess as anything else involving ‘da folk’ and someone or some organization collecting funds on behalf of “pookie nem.” This is precisely what Bill Cosby speaks of, yet folks want to cry shame on him.
Anyway, I recall the uproar that Michael Baisden’s careless and uninformed remarks caused here on this very board back when he erroneously reported that “Mychael Bell is Free” on his radio show. Myself and other Hicktowners were searching in vain on CNN, MSNBC, AP, and other national media sites for further information and there was NONE because Mychael Bell’s conviction had been “overturned” and but he was not free and remained incarceated despite the overturned conviction.
I am not a Baisden fan, but really find it just downright reckless of him to make accusations of this magnitude against this organization. I applaud them for not only sending the money to these boys’ lawyers, but posting the canceled checks online for all to see that the funds went where they were supposed to. I think Baisden should watch what he says and check his sources as all respected journalists do and stop adding to the divisiveness and drama.
In fact before even hurling these allegations at this group that was trying to help and apparently DID help, he should have been counseling these boys on how to be humble and focus on getting their education and moving on after all of this mess. I didn’t hear about him being appalled like most people when the myspace pages surfaced and the pics of them at the BET Hip-Hop Awards.
I can understand this group continuing their desire to help as they assert that they have written authorizations from the other families involved to continue raising money on their behalf. Mychael Bell’s father does not speak for the majority and I suppose they will continue their cause until the other families ask that they discontinue their fundraising. Either way, I haven’t sent a dime. Let these careless people fend for themselves and teach their children to stay out of trouble.
“Until those young men can explain to America why they were photographed with dollar bills hanging off of their bodies like ignorant ghetto rats at the expense of people who worked hard and gave from their hearts, DO NOT send them another penny.”
Lynn, this is why I enjoy this blog so much because you call things just as they are. Those photos are ghetto and ignorant and amount to a slap in the face to the people who have donated money to these boys.
I was reading an interview with with one of the mothers and she said that BET invited the boys there for a relaxing weekend – source: http://news.aol.com/story/_a/two-of-jena-six-defendants-present-bet/n20071019093409990003
Those parents should have declined the invite because it just looks bad. They are not celebrities, and they need to be somewhere trying to get their lives together.