With nearly 60,000 protesters at the recent rally in Jena, La., America has seen a rebirth of the Civil Rights Movement. People from around the country amassed in the small town Sept. 20 to protest the blatant racism exhibited by the local authorities. A new generation of activists is organizing to demand justice for the "Jena Six" and others who face discrimination, and they are starting to win.

The situation in Jena started in August 2006 when a student went to the school principal in Jena to inquire if he, a black student, could sit under a playground tree traditionally reserved for whites. He was informed that in America, you are free to sit wherever you want. The next day several nooses hung from that tree, a staggering reminder that in America we are not yet free from racism.

The superintendent claimed a three-day, in-school suspension was ample punishment for what he called "a juvenile prank." Outraged by the school's failure to appropriately deal with the threat of racial violence, black students took matters into their own hands. The following day a small group of black student athletes organized a protest at the infamous tree, which grew to include the entire black student population.

In response, a schoolwide assembly was called in which the district attorney directed open threats to the black students, reportedly saying, "I want you to understand that with a stroke of my pen I can make your lives disappear." The town became very tense with outbreaks of fighting. One boy was attacked at a party, and the next day several students had a gun pulled on them before wrestling it away and calling the police. The students were charged with stealing the gun and assault.

The climate at school was fierce. The group of white boys boasted of the successful stomping they had delivered at the party. One particular student had gotten in the face of black student Mychal Bell, spouting racial epithets with full knowledge that legal justice was not colorblind in Jena. Outside at lunch, the racist boy was knocked down with a punch and several black students continued to beat him as he lay on the ground. The boy was taken to the hospital with a concussion but was not severely injured and was later released.

Six black students were arrested and charged with attempted murder and conspiracy, carrying a potential 100-year sentence. The district attorney's threatening words echoed through the minds of the community. Mr. Bell was the first to be convicted with an incompetent defense that failed to produce a single witness. He was eventually convicted of a lesser charge and faced 22 years for assault with a deadly weapon — his sneakers — and awaited sentencing scheduled to take place Sept. 20.

But things began to turn around. All charges against Mr. Bell have been overturned in the face of mounting pressure from below. Tens of thousands of activists converged on Jena, indicating a growing movement challenging the inequality of our criminal justice system. This movement is rooted in the efforts of activists organizing for years that have just begun to pay off.

Also resulting from pressure to change the judicial system, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has overseen more executions than any other Texas governor in history, granted clemency to death row inmate Kenneth Foster Aug. 30. Mr. Foster's clemency came after anti-death penalty activists from around the country, including those in Madison, waged a campaign to stop his execution. In Austin, the epicenter of the campaign, activists held their first meeting in May. After a rally in downtown Austin, they began attracting the attention of the Texas press. By the end of the campaign, former President Jimmy Carter and civil rights activist Desmond Tutu had joined Mr. Foster's cause.

The campaign to save Mr. Foster not only saved his life but also struck a blow against capital punishment itself. By exposing the prosecution for acknowledging that Mr. Foster never killed anyone, the campaign subverted the claim that capital punishment is reserved only for the worst offenders — those with no hope of rehabilitation. In saving Mr. Foster, activists exposed the fundamental injustice of a system that has locked up more people than any other country on the planet.

The victories resulting from these campaigns have changed the atmosphere in America. Several years ago, the idea that we could stop an execution in Texas was unheard of, and a rally of tens of thousands of antiracists in the south would be thought impossible. It was the process of organizing layers of activists for the long haul that won these victories, and it is the job of organizers now to integrate the many new activists into building a movement that can continue to fight for justice.

At noon tomorrow, a rally and walkout will be held on Library Mall to protest the continuing incarceration of Mr. Bell and racism everywhere.

Ben Daniels ([email protected]) is a member of the UW International Socialist Organization.