Keywords: noose, Noose Watch, Southern Poverty Law Center, Jena 6, racism, noose laws, hate-crime legislation, Louisiana, Rep. Rickey Hardy, racial intimidation

Nine months after the nation began witnessing an uptick in the number of reported noose sightings following the furor over the Jena 6 incident in Louisiana, lawmakers there, as well as in Connecticut and New York, have made hanging a noose a crime punishable by imprisonment. And more states are likely to follow.

Since September of last year, the number of reported noose incidents nationally jumped to nearly 80, according to the DiversityInc Noose Watch, the first and only tracker of national reported noose sightings.

Reported noose incidents skyrocketed after the Jena 6 case, in which six young Black men were arrested after a fight with a white student following a noose hanging at their high school. The incident sparked a nationwide protest last summer with more than 30,000 people marching in support of the men, nicknamed the Jena 6.

 "We might see half a dozen [noose] cases a year; there is no doubt in my mind that there has been a major outbreak of noose incidents blossoming because of Jena," said Mark Potok, director of the Intelligence Project for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), which monitors hate crimes. The SPLC and DiversityInc co-authored an op-ed column for The New York Times in November, titled "The Geography of Hate" about the Noose Watch and preponderance of noose sightings.

These noose incidents are a part of a "larger phenomenon," according to Potok. According to the SPLC, the number of hate groups rose to 888 in 2007, up 5 percent from 2006 and 48 percent since 2000.

To date, three states have passed laws to punish those who use nooses as a means to intimidate. Connecticut and New York passed laws in May, with prison sentences ranging from a year in Connecticut to four years in New York. Earlier this month, Louisiana, the state where thousands of protestors marched in support of the Jena 6, became the third state to pass such a law. So far, no one has been sentenced under these new laws.

"I want to send a message that this will not be tolerated in 2008 in the state of Louisiana," said Rep. Rickey Hardy, who introduced the bill, in an interview with Stateline.org

Louisiana's law makes hanging a noose, or an image of one, on another person's property or on public property with "the intent to intimidate" illegal and punishable by up to $5,000 and up to a year in prison.

Lawmakers in Florida, Maryland, Missouri and North Carolina are considering  similar legislation.

Readers' Comments

Posted: Friday, Jul 18, 2008 Jena 6 Aftermath: Nooses Punishable By Prison Thank you for this incredible and important information. I am taking a class in Power, Privilege and Oppression at Lesley University and would like to include a copy with references and links to you website.  Can you grant permission to me for this purpose? Karen Joyce

Posted: Friday, Jul 18, 2008 Jena 6 Aftermath: Nooses Punishable By Prison As it may do some good to teach young people about symbols, those young people involved with hanging the noose in Jena were already educated around what it means to hang a noose, hence the reason for hanging it in the first place. Teaching these particular young people did not have a positive outcome.    The noose evokes certain feelings among those people whose ancestors suffered, SUFFERED from those injustices that took place.  NOTHING positive will result from hanging a noose anywhere, whether it's outside someone's house or in a school yard.  People KNOW the results doing so... it evokes HATE.  Therefore there should be repercussions for those actions.  If you can get arrested for a hate crime, you should get arrested for evoking hate as well.    WAKE UP! Karen Wilson

Posted: Friday, Jul 18, 2008 Jena 6 Aftermath: Nooses Punishable By Prison To state that hanging a noose is freedom of speech is denying the very foundation of personal rights.  Freedom of speech was tempered by it's creator with him saying everyone should have the freedom to express themselves until it imposes on another's right to express themselves.  No one can justly yell "fire" in a theater. Stop this insanity of using freedom of speech as a reason to intimidate and subjugate people. Jeanette Jamal

Posted: Friday, Jul 18, 2008 Jena 6 Aftermath: Nooses Punishable By Prison Until we as a society learn to tolerate other people and protect the acts of a few idiots laws such as the noose law will need to be legislated and enforced upon us. Look at seat belt laws, speeding laws, etc. We need laws to protect us from ourselves and change the way we as a society think. It is a process in which ideas supported by a law will take plant in society. Perhaps this should have been legislated years ago. Brian Dixon

Posted: Friday, Jul 18, 2008 Jena 6 Aftermath: Nooses Punishable By Prison I applaud those states who choose to enact laws against noose use. (Catchy phrase). For those of the mindset this is some kind of free speech declaration, If as Lee Bollinger once said, "The free speech principle is left with the concern of nothing less than helping to shape "the intellectual character of the society." Now I ask you, how does a symbol of hate and oppression shape the intellectual character of society. It would in fact display of a lack of character, or at least a character of worth. In Brandenburg vs OH, the supreme court stated restrictions on free speech are appropriate if the "speech" were "likely to incite imminent lawless action". Is not Jena 6 an example? grant garber

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