House Passes Emmett Till Bill To Make Lynching Federal Crime, 3 Republicans Vote Against
The House voted 422-3 to pass the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, which would make lynching a federal hate crime. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Illinois). “By passing my Emmett Till Antilynching Act, 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,” Rush said. The bill is named in honor of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old black boy who was kidnapped and lynched in Mississippi in 1955 for allegedly whistling and making advances at ...