When members of the National Association of Black Journalists learned about the controversial trial taking place in Jena, La., they responded quickly to ensure student awareness and to generate support for the victims.

The NABJ, like other organizations on campus, chose to create T-shirts with “Free the Jena ‘6’” printed in bold white letters. Members of the NABJ gathered in Speaker’s Circle last week selling T-shirts and passing out flyers to raise awareness for the six teenagers being charged with attempted second-degree murder.

NABJ Public Relations chairwoman Nawal Abdul-Majid said there initially was no goal for how many shirts to sell; the group just wanted to raise social awareness on campus.

“We started out with 30 shirts and sold all of them on the first day,” she said.

One hundred more shirts were ordered after massive media attention captured anti-racism protests and rallies in the streets of Jena.

Many students choose to not only buy shirts, but to donate cash also.

“We had a separate envelope for donations where people who did not have enough money to purchase a shirt, or those who had change from buying a shirt, could contribute money,” Abdul-Majid said.

Other student organizations also joined in to show support for the Jena Six. The Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity started selling their T-shirts Monday inside Brady Commons.

Alpha Phi Alpha’s shirts have “Free the Jena 6” and a tree with three nooses on the front, with the phrase “Enough is Enough” written on the back.

“We have already sold a large portion of our shirts,” Alpha Phi Alpha President Louis Byrd said. “We are already sold out of all the smalls and mediums.”

Byrd said 120 shirts have been made so far, with plans to make more as the demand increases.

“We used chapter money to make the shirts so 100 percent of the profit will be sent down to Jena to help with legal fees and other expenses,” Byrd said.

Alpha Phi Alpha will be selling their T-shirts this week in Brady Commons from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. every day.

This article was provided by: The Maneater