Making History
Friend,
As Black History Month comes to a close, I'd like to point out the history that was made just last week when the Senate unanimously passed the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act.
Lynching is a murder. It’s torture. But after a century of trying, it’s still not a federal crime. We must speak the truth about our past. These were horrendous acts of violence motivated by racism. And victims and families never received justice.
I'm so proud we were able to get this done. With this bill we finally have a chance to offer some long overdue healing, justice and recognition to the victims of lynching and their families.
We’re now one step closer to getting this bill finally signed into law. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, "The time is always right to do what is right."
Sincerely,
Kamala
Kamala D. Harris
United States Senator
Speaking Truth:
Watch the moment the Senate unanimously pass the Justice for Victims of Lynching Act.
U.S. Senator Kamala D. Harris and her colleagues asked for unanimous consent on the Senate floor to pass the bipartisan Justice for Victims of Lynching Act, legislation that would criminalize lynching for the first time in American history. The motion was passed, marking a historic step towards the first federal anti-lynching law in the United States.
 We finally have a chance to speak the truth about
our past and make clear that these hateful acts should never happen again. -Senator Kamala D. Harris
Watch Senator Harris speak as she heads to the Senate floor to request her colleagues unanimously pass her anti-lynching bill.
Lynching is a dark and despicable part of our country’s history. According to data from the Equal Justice Initiative, lynching was used as an instrument of terror and intimidation 4,084 times during the late 19th and 20th centuries. From 1882 to 1986, Congress failed to pass anti-lynching legislation 200 times. The historic Justice for Victims of Lynching Act would finally criminalize lynching, attempts to lynch, and conspiracy to lynch for the first time in American history.
Paying Attention:
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