Bill passes to make lynching federal hate crime

The Senate on Thursday unanimously backed a bill to make lynching a federal crime, a step cast as righting a historic wrong after nearly 100 years of failed attempts.

The legislation, approved on a voice vote, would ensure that lynching triggers an enhanced sentence under federal law, like other hate crimes. The measure was sponsored by the Senate’s three African-American members: Kamala Harris, D- Calif., Cory Booker, D-N. J., and Tim Scott, RS.C.

Harris and Booker, who are rivals for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination, spoke graciously about their joint effort Thursday morning on the Senate floor. Booker had introduced the bill with Harris and Scott after what Harris described as 200 previous attempts by Congress to pass similar legislation.

Proponents of the measure expect the Democratic- led House to pass the legislation and send it to President Donald Trump for his signature. A similar bill passed the Senate in December, but the House never acted on the measure.

Harris recounted the history of lynching in the United States and the 1955 lynching of 14- year- old Emmett Till in rural Mississippi. Till, who was visiting from Chicago, was murdered after he was ac- cused of whistling at and making sexual advances toward a white woman. The teen was kidnapped Aug. 28, 1955, and was tortured and shot. His mangled body was found days later in the Tallahatchie River.

Lynching, said Harris, “was an act of terror. It was murder. It was summary execution.”

She said the bill was an opportunity to speak the truth about the past and offer some long- overdue justice.