Congressman Cicilline joined his colleagues Monday in a strong bipartisan vote of 422 – 3 to pass H.R. 55, the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, long overdue legislation to designate lynching as a hate crime under federal law.
Named in honor of a 14-year-old African American youth from Chicago, who was lynched while visiting an uncle in Mississippi in 1955 after being accused of whistling at a white woman, the legislation now heads to the Senate for a vote.
“I proudly voted today for the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, a bill that is more than a century overdue,” said Congressman Cicilline.“Most of us know the harrowing story of Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American teenager who was brutally murdered for allegedly speaking with a white woman in 1955 Mississippi. His murder was rightly part of the spark that led to the Civil Rights Movement, but unfortunately was not an isolated incident.
“White supremacists and hate groups have used lynchings throughout our nation’s history to torture and intimidate thousands of victims of color – mostly Black men and women. And yet, these murders, are not – in the year 2022 – considered a federal hate crime.
“Our laws are a reflection of our values, and it is time to right this wrong.
“Though no legislation can ever bring full justice to Emmitt Till or the thousands of other lynching victims, passing this bill will finally rectify this legal oversight and allow us to take appropriate action against murderers. I am proud to be a cosponsor of this bill and want to thank Congressman Rush for his incredible leadership on this vital legislation.”
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