"Racism Is Still Alive in 2007

"Racism Is Still Alive in 2007" Jena, Louisiana — 2007

This photograph from the Jena Six protest displays a sign proclaiming "Racism Is Still Alive in 2007," a direct assertion challenging narratives of post-racial progress in contemporary America. The sign's stark declaration confronts the widespread rhetoric of the early 2000s that suggested racism had been substantially overcome through civil rights legislation and social advancement.

The statement's historical significance lies in its explicit rejection of complacency and its assertion that systemic racism remained structurally embedded within American institutions. By naming racism as a persistent force rather than a historical artifact, the protesters articulated a critical intervention in national discourse, demanding recognition that racial inequality continued to operate through legal systems, educational institutions, and social hierarchies. This assertion proved foundational to subsequent movements and scholarship examining structural racism, establishing that addressing racial injustice required sustained confrontation with institutional mechanisms rather than individual prejudice alone. The sign exemplifies how the Jena Six movement functioned as a catalyst for broader consciousness-raising about the enduring nature of systemic discrimination in American society.