Congress Makes Lynching a Federal Crime | |||
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 Congress Makes Lynching a Federal CrimeCongress Makes Lynching a Federal Crime Passed unanimously by the Senate last year, the House approved the bill by a vote of 410 to four. Since a similar bill was first introduced 120 years ago, nearly 200 efforts to designate lynching as a federal crime have failed. Illinois Democratic Rep. Bobby Rush introduced the bill, named after Emmett Till. Till was 14-years-old when he was kidnapped, tortured and violently murdered in Mississippi for flirting with a white woman. The bill was approved by the House 65 years after Till's murder sparked outrage across the U.S. Rep. Bobby Rush, via NBC News It is thought that the U.S. has been host to more than 4,000 lynchings, the majority of which were black men and women. |
