A bill banning lynching, named in honor of Emmitt Till, was overwhelmingly approved Monday by the US House of Representatives.
Illinois Congressman Bobby Rush sponsored the legislation in honor of the Chicago teenager who was abducted, tortured and killed in 1955 after witnesses said he whistled at a white woman in Mississippi.
The bill designates lynching as a federal hate crime.
“Today is a day of enormous consequence for our nation,” Rush said. “By passing my Emmett Till Antilynching Act, the House has sent a resounding message that our nation is finally reckoning with one of the darkest and most horrific periods of our history, and that we are morally and legally committed to changing course.”
Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweeted her support Monday night.
“At last, a recognition that lynching is a federal hate crime. This is not just about history, this is about the now and shaping the future,” Lightfoot said. “Thank you Congressman Rush for your relentless fight for justice. I look forward to swift passage by the Senate.”
A 422 to 3 vote passed the bill.
With bipartisan support, the bill should pass in the Senate.