Bill passed to make lynching a federal hate crime…finally

The U.S. Senate passed legislation Monday night by unanimous consent to make lynching a federal hate crime, which means it’s on its way to President Joe Biden’s desk for signature. It passed the U.S. House by a vote of 422-2 last week.

Named in honor of Emmett Till, the young Black boy whose suffered a horrific murder at the hands of white men in Mississippi in 1955, the bill outlaws lynching.

According to the bill’s text, “Whoever conspires to commit any offense … shall (A) if death results from the offense, be imprisoned for any term of years or for life,” and “(B) In any other case, be subjected to the same penalties as the penalties prescribed for the offense of the commission of which was the object of the conspiracy.”

Source

Miami Times

Specifically, the legislation makes lynching a federal hate crime, punishable by up to life in prison.

The measure faced defeat for more than 100 years, with lawmakers attempting to pass the legislation more than 200 times. But the House has finally passed the bill, on a 422-3 vote. Three Republicans opposed the bill: Reps. Andrew Clyde (R-Ga.), Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Chip Roy (R-Texas).

“The House has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing course,” said Congressman Bobby Rush (D-Illinois) last week, who is retiring at the end of his term.

Rush, who founded the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, had promised to do all he could to push the legislation through before his retirement.

The congressman recalled that he was 8 years old when he saw photos of Emmett Till’s brutalized corpse in Jet magazine.

“That shaped my consciousness as a Black man in America, changed the course of my life and changed our nation,” Rush asserted.

New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker noted that between 1936 and 1938, a flag posted outside of the national headquarters of the NAACP read, “A man was lynched yesterday.”

Bill passed to make lynching a federal hate crime…finally

Source

Next Project

“Don’t Say Gay” bill passed, and what that means

Post a comment Click here to cancel reply