SUMMARY: After 200 attempts and various iterations of the bill, the legislation named in honor of Emmett Till designates lynching as a federal hate crime.
By Mona Austin
The Senate unanimously passed the Emmett Till anti-lynching bill on Monday, March 8. Authored by Illinois Democrat Bobby Rush, the bill was named in honor of a Chicago teen who was killed in 1955 while visiting family in Mississippi under dubious circumstances. Under the new law lynchings or hate crimes that involve death or excessive bodily injury -- will be prosecuted with a penalty of up to 30 years of imprisonment.
"Lynching is a longstanding and uniquely American weapon of racial terror that has for decades been used to maintain the white hierarchy," said Rush.
The 15-term congressman added that the passage of the anti-lynching measure would send the message that "the full force of the U.S. federal government will always be brought to bear against those who commit this heinous act."
There were 200 attempts to pass some form of anti-lynching legislation previously as as proponents have worked on passage of the bill for years.
It now awaits approval from President Joe Biden.
Elected in 1992, Congressman Rush is one of 30 Democrats who will not seek re-election at the end of their terms.