Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act

The USA’s House of Representatives passed the Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act after 200 failed attempts over the past 100 years.

• Which country passed this anti-lynching legislation?

The Emmett Till Anti-lynching Act was passed by USA’s House of Representatives. This is a historic step for the country as its legislation had failed to pass it about 200 times. The earliest attempt to pass the bill was in 1900.

• Who was Emmett Till?

The anti-lynching legislation is named after Emmett Till, a black 14 year old victim of lynching. Till was tortured and killed in 1995 after being accused of whistling at a white woman and grabbing her. His killing had sparked the Civil Rights Movement.

• Does the act makes lynching a criminal offence?

The anti-lynching legislation makes lynching a federal crime in USA. This is significant as 99% of the perpetrators of lynching go unpunished. Between 1882 and 1968, at least 4,742 people in USA were lynched according to reports. The Senate had passed the bill in 2018. It is only to acquire the President’s assent.