News Sources: 'Jena 6' Conviction Overturned

A state appeals court in Louisiana tossed out the conviction against one of six African-American teenagers charged in an attack on a white student. The case brought widespread criticism that blacks were being treated more harshly than whites, after racial confrontations and fights at their school. Reporters looking for experts to interview on this topic can find them online at the collegenews.org database of news sources and subject matter experts from America's leading liberal arts colleges, including (click on names for contact information):

Dr. Beverly Daniel Tatum - President, Spelman College - Tatum is a nationally recognized race relations expert, and the author of Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? And Other Conversations About Race.

Sarah Willie - Associate Professor, Swarthmore College - Willie is the author of the 2003 book Acting Black and an expert on social inequality in the U.S. She is Associate Provost and past chair of Swarthmore’s Black Studies Program. She teaches courses on social theory, sociology through literature, and racial dynamics in the U.S.

Alan W. McEvoy - Professor of Sociology, Wittenberg University - An authority on violence and victimization, Wittenberg has authored several books, appeared on national television and lectured extensively to educators and human service workers. He is Senior Editor of the School Intervention Report and president of the Safe Schools Coalition. The National Gang Crime Research Center has presented its highest award to him.