Her Campus Logo Her Campus Logo
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at FSU chapter.

A defining factor of American history is deep-rooted in acts of racial violence, hate crimes and injustice towards African Americans. Most notoriously, lynching was the horrific murder by the mob, especially by hanging, for an alleged offense without a legal trial. This is something more than 4,500 African Americans fell victim to between 1882 and the early 1950s, an inevitable, violent death by the white man simply for their skin color and lack of representation.

Lawmakers took a historic vote on Wed. when the House of Representatives passed legislation to make lynching a federal crime, 120 years after Congress first considered anti-lynching legislation and after dozens of efforts were defeated. The House passed HR 35, anti-lynching legislation introduced by Illinois’ Democratic Representative Bobby Rush, who named the act after Emmett Till, a fourteen-year-old boy who was brutally tortured and lynched after accusations a white woman made about him whistling at her at a store 65 years ago. His murder shocked the country and became one of the major stokes of the Civil Rights Movement, letting it be known just how bad the racial horrors have become in America with African American citizens desperate for change and representation.

The Emmett Till Antilynching Act was approved 410 to 4 on Wed., and is expected to be signed by President Trump, finally designating lynching as a federal hate crime punishable by up to life in prison, a fine, or both. The bill was unanimously supported by Democrats. Three Republicans: Louie Gohmert of Texas, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Ted Yoho of Florida opposed the bill, along with Independent Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan.

Photo by Oladimeji Odunsi on Unsplash
Bobby Rush, a Democrat whose Chicago district includes Till’s former home, initiated the bill in hopes of belatedly achieving justice for Till and the nearly 5,000 other lynching victims in the United States. Although we have undeniably achieved progress in certain aspects, hate, bigotry and racism still exist in this country more than ever and legislation like this is quintessential. “The importance of this bill cannot be overstated,″ said Rush, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. ”From Charlottesville to El Paso, we are still being confronted with the same violent racism and hatred that took the life of Emmett and so many others. The passage of this bill will send a strong and clear message to the nation that we will not tolerate this bigotry.”

Although the passing of this bill is long overdue, it is not a moment too soon to ensure that justice is served. “It is never too late to do the right thing and address these gruesome, racially motivated acts of terror that have plagued our nation’s history,“ said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., urging lawmakers to “renew our commitment to confronting racism and hate.″ Although no bill or law could ever truly rectify the horrors African Americans face, Congress, which once ran rampant with slave owners and members of the Ku Klux Klan, is finally stepping up, recognizing the dark history lynching plots on American soil, and taking steps to ensure that justice is served and that this happens never again.

Want to see more HCFSU? Be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest!

Em is a junior from Miami double majoring in psychology and English: editing, writing, & media. Writing, fashion, and astrology are some of her interests and she hopes to pursue a degree in fashion ujournalism.
Her Campus at Florida State University.