The Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act one of hundreds of bills that have been introduced over the past century that have tried to ban lynching in America.
It is named after a brutal killing in Mississippi in 1955 of a young black teen who mother made the riskey call to show the open casket at his funeral to show the world what had been done to her child which will eventually become an pivotal moment in the Civil Rights era.
“After more than 200 failed attempts to outlaw lynching, Congress is finally succeeding in taking a long overdue action by passing the Emmett Till Anti-Lynching Act,” said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.
The bill would make it possible to prosecute lynching as a federal hate crime says champion, Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill.
The Emmitt Till Foundation posted this message on their twitter.
#EmmettTill, was a young man that shared his joy of life with everyone around him. Tragically, his life was cut short at age 14, but his legacy lives onāWe will honor our promise to #MamieTillMobley, and keep his memory alive! His death will not be in vain! #JusticeForEmmettTill
The bill allows the federal government to prosecute a crime as a lynching when a conspiracy to commit a hate crime results in death or serious bodily injury. The maximum sentence under the Anti-Lynching Act is 30 years.
