Emory students protested the imprisonment of Mychal Bell and five other black students accused of beating a white classmate on Thursday.

On campus, about 100 students and employees — most dressed in all black, and all in silence under the midday sun — marched in support of the “Jena 6.”

Another 30 students traveled to Jena, La., to join thousands of people from across the country to protest in the imprisoned boys’ hometown.

Emory’s Black Graduate Student Association and its chapter of the NAACP coordinated the trip, which they funded through donations from the rapper T.I. and Grand Hustle Entertainment.

Racial issues in Jena were sparked more than one year ago. Three nooses were found hanging from a tree on the town’s high school campus after three black students sat underneath it in August 2006. The school board was unsympathetic to the black students’ protests and fights occurred.

The “Jena 6” were charged with attempted second-degree murder after a fight with a white student. Black residents objects to the severity of the charge, arguing that it was due to the students’ race.

“These boys who had a future ahead of them have now had their lives destroyed by injustice,” said Brittany Cooper, a doctoral student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. She echoed the feelings of anger, sadness and outrage among attendees, adding, “Absence of justice for one is absence of justice for all.”

College senior Philip Tizzani, who made the nine-hour drive to Jena last night, said the story lacked sufficient press coverage and hoped that more Americans would learn more about the situation because of the protests.

Cooper said because of the demonstrations, public sentiment might sway the outcome for the six teenagers.

“By publicly supporting these boys, it presents a sense of accountability that these boys’ lives matter,” said Cooper.

Students said the event was touching and poignant.

“There was a lot of love at the demonstration,” College senior Kristian Ashe said. “I was moved by the fact that many people got together to show support for the Jena 6.”

More than 10,000 people were estimated to have attended the march in the small town of Jena, La., which has a population of 3,500.

“As much as the sun beat us up, nothing could stop our energy,” Ashe said.

Meanwhile, at Emory, students protested with a silent march.

Participants marched from the Dobbs University Center to the Quad. Some participants spoke there, and the group recited litanies in name of the “Jena 6.”

NAACP Emory President Carmella Sease, a College senior, said a march was necessary in order to raise awareness about an issue that many people on campus may not be aware of.

“We put up a poster in the DUC explaining the situation and people saw it and thought it was something that had happened in the ’40s or the ’60s and were really surprised to know that it was happening right now,” Sease said.

“It hasn’t been discussed as much as it should be,” said Rollins School of Public Health second-year student Kimether Barlow. “It seems like people are afraid to talk about it.”

— Contact Ayisha Tahir at atahir@emory.edu