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Jena: Take Your Nooses Down

A schoolyard fight in Jena, Louisiana, fueled by hateful symbols of the Jim Crow era, prompted John Mellencamp to write this song. Watch the video.

The Nation

October 3, 2007

John Mellencamp, always one to keep up on the news, was inspired to write this tune in August after he heard about the travesty of justice involving six African-American teenagers in a small Louisiana town. Read more in Peter Rothberg’s Take Action blog.

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