CNN’s Kyra Phillips interviewed Rev. Al Shaprton today as part of CNN’s Jena 6 coverage. Transcript follows…

HARRIS: And welcome back, everyone to the CNN NEWSROOM. I’m Tony Harris.

The CNN NEWSROOM on the road in Jena, Louisiana. Unfolding this hour, racial divisions and demonstrations in Jena, Louisiana. Let’s take a look, live pictures all over the place. Tremendous access for us. And we’re using our full capabilities to bring you this story today of protesters descending upon this town, Jena, Louisiana. It is a show of support for the so-called Jena Six, the black students charged with beating a white classmate. Demonstrators say the charges against the teens are too harsh.

Some local residents say it’s all been blown out of proportion. We will talk more about that in just a moment. But there was a moment just a moment ago that I want to try to recap for just a moment here.

And I want to bring in Kyra Phillips, my colleague in the CNN NEWSROOM, who has put together — and I can’t say enough about the work you’ve done here. Seemingly over the last two weeks, you’ve been in this town telling this story. And you’re a fabulous storyteller to begin with. But there was a moment just a moment ago where we were right back in the ’60s.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Yes, we were, and we were hearing black power, black power, and just the chants.

HARRIS: In the air.

PHILLIPS: And that is what so many people have been saying in this town, is that this is more than just about three white kids who hung nooses and get short suspensions and six black kids that got in a fight with a single white boy, and they’re facing murder charges. Obviously we know that’s changed with regard to Mychal Bell.

But this is an overall message that racism still exists all across this country, and what has happened here in Jena is just the beginning.

I mean, this is a movement, I feel, from talking to white and blacks here, that this is not just going to be Jena, Louisiana that we’re talking about in the next few months, few years, decades.

HARRIS: Yes, and I’ve had some of those same conversations, Kyra.

And just if we can go back to some of the pictures here, I want to try to explain what’s happening now, because there are two large groups, as you know, Kyra. For simplicity sake, call them the Sharpton group with Michael Baisden (ph) who you spent time with this morning on the bus, getting from Alexandria here to the courthouse. And then there is the Jesse Jackson group. We thought there might be a moment when those two groups would merge and we’d have a real sense of the real size of this rally and march today. That is in fact happening right now.

The Jesse Jackson group, we understand, has left the softball field where they had assembled and are now marching past the courthouse on their way to the high school. And many of the people in the Sharpton group are now heading back this way. So now we have that moment that we thought would happen, when these two groups have merged.

And now we are getting a real sense — and we’ll probably go to our overhead shot, about 30 feet above street level, that will give you a better sense of how big this really is.

PHILLIPS: And you know why they did that? Because so many people said they were coming, and they did. And so Sharpton and Jesse Jackson decided, OK, we’re going to work it out, we’re going to organize this.

So whether you’re here at courthouse or you’re at the ballpark or you’re a couple miles down the road, outside of Jena, you have a place to rally and to come together and speak your mind.

HARRIS: Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Yes.

HARRIS: Please talk to us. Because I’ve been telling folks all morning about this incredible special that you and your team have been working on, at least the last few weeks, it feels like, because you haven’t been around.

PHILLIPS: And you know what I said? I said, this is real journalism. This is why we got into the business. Diversity, movements like this, this is what it’s all about. I know we’ve been watching all this O.J. Simpson coverage, and people on the outside want to hear about that, but this is the real deal. This is what makes a difference and what you and I went to school for.

HARRIS: And you’ve been here, put time in on the ground. You have an amazing story to tell of all sides. We like to get that 360 view of a story. You had the time to do that. Talk to us about some of the access you’ve been granted, and in some cases doors you have nudged aside.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. Well, let’s start with what happened this morning. We were able to gain access with Michael Baisden, who, as you know, on black talk radio, has rallied this movement in so many ways.

He and Al Sharpton, I came in with them on the bus, and a number of other folks that they are supporting, including Mychal Bell’s mother, Melissa Bell was with us.

Let me just give you a short clip of a discussion we had on the bus this morning at 6:00 a.m.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Mrs. Bell, what do you think of this?

MELISSA BELL, MYCHAL BELL’S MOTHER: This is good. It’s beautiful to see how people around here, but I’m get pushed more than I’m getting anything. And I was on the phone with Mychal a few minutes ago, and I was telling him what’s going on.

PHILLIPS: You told Michael what’s going on right now? What did he say?

BELL: He was excited. He said he was watching it on the news.

PHILLIPS: And what did you tell him?

BELL: I told that he should see all the people out here supporting him. He said it is amazing. He was in good humor. He said he’s watching it on the news.

PHILLIPS: Thank you.

REV. AL SHARPTON, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST: Of the parents that are here, not one of those that are talking to you, not one major media in the white community, has stood up and denounced it in Jena. It’s been white leaders everywhere else. Why if this is such a prank, hasn’t one white minister, mayor, anybody, had the courage to stand up and say, it’s wrong to do that, it’s wrong to have a tree that’s segregated, it is wrong to do these things, it’s wrong that you’re hanging up these Confederate flags. None of them have stepped forward.

So their silence shows us this was fine, as long as it was under the carpet. We came to pull the carpet up. If there are roaches and we turn the light on, don’t blame us for being those that get rid of roaches.

MARTIN LUTHER KING III, CHMN., CEO, REALIZING THE DREAM: A new generation of young people who were not exposed to the movement are here today to march.

PHILLIPS: Is this in your dad’s spirit?

KING: Oh, absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Is that what he’d want you to do?

KING: I think it is. It’s certainly one of the things. I mean, obviously, at the end of the day, it’s about bringing this community back together. But justice is has to be done first.

PHILLIPS: Has there been changes since your dad marched in Selma?

KING: Oh, most definitely, many changes, but we still have a long way to go. The triple evils of poverty, racisms and militarism/war are still in existence.

PHILLIPS: And what is this about today?

KING: This is about justice, justice for the six young men, and even justice for the victim.

PHILLIPS: What about the three boys that hung the nooses?

KING: That is something that we must address in terms of a hate crime piece of legislation, I think, because clearly it is not being addressed appropriately. There has been no penalty for those individuals.

PHILLIPS: So there’s more to come.

KING: We’re certainly going to (INAUDIBLE) for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HARRIS: You know, Kyra, in many ways, you asked the question of Martin King III. And let’s do that pivot; let’s finish that circle.

You can’t tell this story without talking about what happened in September a year ago at Jena High School and the fact that there were nooses found, hanging from a tree.

PHILLIPS: That’s what caught everybody’s attention. There were three nooses hanging from a tree, where students say only white students used to sit. And we go back and we tell our viewer in this special tonight how it began and how we got to the Jena Six. Is there a link?

Legally, lawyers, prosecutors say no.

However, what I will tell you, there is a link with regard to an attitude, a feeling, between blacks and whites. If you look at everybody that is involved, whether it’s a hanging of the nooses, all the way up to what happened on that schoolyard fight with six black boys and one white boy. There is a connection with groups of friends that run together, groups of friends that believe a certain way. So you have to address the nooses, and you have to talk about what happened there to get to the point of why all these people are here.

In 2007, no one — no matter where you’re from — should be hanging nooses, symbols of lynching black people — from a tree. End of story.

HARRIS: You fuel the passions.

PHILLIPS: And I want you to know that I pursued that. I want you to know that I talked to either a parent or a relative of each one of those boys that hung the nooses, OK? And it’s a mixed bag. These are kids that don’t have a past record. This is the first time these three kids have really been in trouble.

HARRIS: Could anyone explain the nooses, why these kids…

PHILLIPS: Can anyone explain? I will tell you and I will not name names at this point, because we’re having a lot of discussions about who we want to handle that, with regard to names and pictures right now, that there is an attitude among some of these families that it was just a joke, it was just a prank. But my boy didn’t mean what he did, you know? He’s suffering for this. He doesn’t understand why people are so angry at him.

And I showed up at one of the door steps of one of the families, and I was greeted by two big men with shotguns, OK. But I was also introduced to another family that was willing to talk to me and say, look, my boy didn’t mean to do harm, he made a mistake, and he’s paying the price.

So let’s continue to turn this. Because the other side, and you’re alluding to this right now, is what’s going on in this town — 85 percent white, 12 to 15 percent African-American. What is happening in this town along the lines of race? I know you talked to residents…

PHILLIPS: This is a wakeup call. This is a wakeup call, Tony. And in our special, in our investigation, we’re trying to hold people accountable for their actions and their decisions. There is a lot more to come with the district attorney here in this area…

HARRIS: Reed Walters?

PHILLIPS: Absolutely. The man who is prosecuting these boys. He didn’t want to talk. He didn’t want to grant an interview. We attempted to get him on camera numerous times, had to approach him unexpectedly to get some answers. He told me when I asked him, do you think there is racial division in your town, that there is racial tension. He told me, absolutely not.

HARRIS: Really?

PHILLIPS: There is more to tell with regard to that part of the story.

HARRIS: There would appear to a disconnect.