Emmett Till Antilynching Act | passes Senate, awaits Biden signature

Text - H.R.55 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Emmett Till Antilynching Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress

Lynching - the vigilante killings of African Americans and others - is about to become a federal crime.  150 years ago the United States Supreme Court in the Cruikshank case held that the post-Civil war Enforcement Act could not reach Ku Klux Klan crimes because the 14th Amendment limited only State action, not private killings.  But now an anti-lynching bill is poised to become law.

In our history over 4,000 people - an estimated 72% Black - were murdered by mob violence. The National Memorial for Peace and Justice reports and remembers.

President Joe Biden will soon sign the measure.  It provides:

Section 249(a) of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“(5) LYNCHING.—Whoever conspires to commit any offense under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) shall, if death or serious bodily injury (as defined in section 2246 of this title) results from the offense, be imprisoned for not more than 30 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both.

“(6) OTHER CONSPIRACIES.—Whoever conspires to commit any offense under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) shall, if death or serious bodily injury (as defined in section 2246 of this title) results from the offense, or if the offense includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or an attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, be imprisoned for not more than 30 years, fined in accordance with this title, or both.”.