The
U.S. Senate Apology on Lynching
The following resolution (Senate Resolution No. 39) apologizing for the inaction of the U.S. Senate that could have saved countless lives was adopted by the Senate on June 13, 2005. Even though a majority supported the resolution (see list below), not all Senators lent their support to the resolution. Note: links to select news reports and responses appear after the text of the resolution. Select links to additional information on the subject of lynching in general in the U.S. appear at the end of the introduction in the left column. |
Lynching
in The U.S.
For many African Americans growing up in the South in the 19th and 20th centuries, the threat of lynching was commonplace. The popular image of an angry white mob stringing a black man up to a tree is only half the story. Lynching, an act of terror meant to spread fear among blacks, served the broad social purpose of maintaining white supremacy in the economic, social and political spheres. Pervasive
Threat
Rise
in Black Prominence
Public
Events
Headlines
and Grisly Souvenirs
"Five White Men Take Negro Into Woods; Kill Him: Had Been Charged with Associating with White Women" went over The Associated Press wires about a lynching in Shreveport, Louisiana. "Negro Is Slain By Texas Posse: Victim's Heart Removed After His Capture By Armed Men" was published in The New York World Telegram on December 8, 1933. "Negro and White Scuffle; Negro Is Jailed, Lynched" was published in the Atlanta Constitution on July 6, 1933. Newspapers even printed that prominent white citizens in local towns attended lynchings, and often published victory pictures -- smiling crowds, many with children in tow -- standing next to the corpse. Thousands
of Victims
Killed
for Being "Insolent"
One
Woman's Crusade
Total
Repression
Violence
Tapered Off
Shock
Over Till
The brutal slaying of a 14-year-old boy was shocking, and when the killers later confessed to the crime in an article published in Look magazine, African Americans and others who supported civil liberties realized they would have to organize en masse and risk their lives in order to bring change. Source:PBS.ORG
All rights reserved.
For additional information on what some have correctly labeled as among the "Dark Ages" of U.S. history see the following select materials:
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109th
Congress
1st Session S. RES. 39 Apologizing to the victims of lynching and the descendants of those victims for the failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legislation. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES FEBRUARY 7, 2005 Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. FRIST, Mr. REID, Mr. ALLARD, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BAYH, Ms. COLLINS, Mr. BIDEN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. CORZINE, Mr. LUGAR, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. DODD, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. DUR-BIN, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. STEVENS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. TALENT, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, Mr. KOHL, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. PRYOR, and Mr. SCHUMER) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary RESOLUTIONWhereas the crime of lynching succeeded slavery as the ulti-mate expression of racism in the United States following Reconstruction; Whereas lynching was a widely acknowledged practice in the United States until the middle of the 20th century; Whereas lynching was a crime that occurred throughout the United States, with documented incidents in all but 4 States; Whereas at least 4,742 people, predominantly African-Americans, were reported lynched in the United States between 1882 and 1968; Whereas 99 percent of all perpetrators of lynching escaped from punishment by State or local officials; Whereas lynching prompted African-Americans to form the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and prompted members of B'nai B'rith to found the Anti-Defamation League; Whereas nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced in Congress during the first half of the 20th century; Whereas, between 1890 and 1952, 7 Presidents petitioned Congress to end lynching; Whereas, between 1920 and 1940, the House of Representatives passed 3 strong anti-lynching measures; Whereas protection against lynching was the minimum and most basic of Federal responsibilities, and the Senate considered but failed to enact anti-lynching legislation despite repeated requests by civil rights groups, Presidents, and the House of Representatives to do so; Whereas the recent publication of "Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America" helped bring greater awareness and proper recognition of the victims of lynching; Whereas only by coming to terms with history can the United States effectively champion human rights abroad; and Whereas an apology offered in the spirit
of true repentance moves the United States toward reconciliation and may
become central to a new understanding, on which improved racial relations
can be forged: Now, therefore, be it
(1) apologizes to the victims of lynching
for the failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legislation;
(as of 1:40 p.m. EDT on June 24, 2005) Senator Daniel Akaka* Senator Wayne Allard* Senator George Allen* Senator Max Baucus* Senator Evan Bayh* Senator Robert Bennett Senator Joseph Biden* Senator Jeff Bingaman* Senator Christopher Bond* Senator Barbara Boxer* Senator Sam Brownback* Senator Jim Bunning* Senator Conrad Burns* Senator Richard Burr* Senator Robert Byrd* Senator Maria Cantwell* Senator Tom Carper* Senator Lincoln Chafee* Senator Saxby Chambliss* Senator Hillary Clinton* Senator Tom Coburn* Senator Norm Coleman* Senator Susan Collins* Senator Kent Conrad* Senator Jon Corzine* Senator Larry Craig* Senator Mike Crapo* Senator Mark Dayton* Senator Jim DeMint* Senator Mike DeWine* Senator Christopher Dodd* Senator Pete Domenici* Senator Byron Dorgan* Senator Richard Durbin* Senator John Ensign* Senator Russell Feingold* Senator Dianne Feinstein* Senator William Frist* Senator Lindsey Graham* Senator Chuck Grassley* Senator Chuck Hagel* Senator Tom Harkin* Senator Orrin Hatch* Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison* Senator James Inhofe* Senator Daniel Inouye* Senator Johnny Isakson* Senator James Jeffords* Senator Tim Johnson* Senator Edward Kennedy* Senator John Kerry* Senator Herb Kohl* Senator Jon Kyl* Senator Mary Landrieu* Senator Frank Lautenberg* Senator Patrick Leahy* Senator Carl Levin* Senator Joseph Lieberman* Senator Blanche Lincoln* Senator Richard Lugar* Senator Mel Martinez* Senator Mitch McConnell* Senator Barbara Mikulski* Senator Lisa Murkowski* Senator Patty Murray* Senator Ben Nelson* Senator Bill Nelson* Senator Barack Obama* Senator Mark Pryor* Senator Jack Reed* Senator Harry Reid* Senator Pat Roberts* Senator John Rockefeller* Senator Ken Salazar* Senator Rick Santorum* Senator Paul Sarbanes* Senator Charles Schumer* Senator Jeff Sessions* Senator Richard Shelby Senator Gordon Smith* Senator Olympia Snowe* Senator Arlen Specter* Senator Debbie Stabenow* Senator Ted Stevens* Senator Jim Talent* Senator John Thune* Senator David Vitter* Senator George Voinovich* Senator John Warner* Senator Ron Wyden* Lamar
Alexander (R-TN)
For additional information on the subject of lynching see materials indicated in the left column |
All materials on this and all other pages relating
to the Voting Rights Act compiled by
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