Mychal Bell is being sentenced in Jena September 20th. Color of Change is organizing a rally in support of him that day (the text of their e-mail follows). I cannot go because Thursday is a major teaching day for me, but I would otherwise. It seems they expect many people to be coming in from out of state, but I think the best impact would be made by locals. Here is the essential part of Color of Change‘s mail:
As you know, the 20th is a pivotal day for Mychal Bell. Should District Attorney Reed Walters have his way, Mychal will be sentenced to 22 years in prison. It is also a critical day for the growing movement to ensure that justice is served for the Jena 6. Our presence in Jena–in large numbers–will help focus media attention on the situation in Jena, escalate pressure on Louisiana’s public officials, and most importantly, show the families of the Jena 6, especially Mychal Bell and his parents, that we stand with them in the face of this injustice.
Can you join us?
http://colorofchange.org/jena/rsvp.html
This is not the first time supporters have come to Jena to make their voices heard. On July 31st, with only a few days to prepare, 300 people from across the country rallied at the Jena Courthouse. We delivered a petition signed by 43,000 ColorOfChange.org members to the District Attorney demanding that he drop the charges against the Jena 6. It was a powerful day that made it clear that the Jena 6 and their families won’t have to fight on their own. Since then, our numbers have almost doubled, media attention to the case has grown, and we have an even bigger opportunity to make a profound impact.
If you can possibly take the day off, I recommend the trip.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
Cannot go. It’s too far.