Barbara Boxer: “today we in the Senate are finally apologizing to the descendants of the nearly 5,000 victims of lynching, primarily…”

“today we in the Senate are finally apologizing to the descendants of the nearly 5,000 victims of lynching, primarily African Americans, for our failure to enact antilynching legislation. Even though the House of Representatives passed three strong antilynching measures between 1920 and 1940, the Senate filibustered all of those measures. This was wrong, and this resolution is long overdue. Lynching, a widely acknowledged practice that continued until the middle of the 20th century, was a shameful chapter in our history. It was mob justice at its most heinous, motivated by racial and ethnic hatred. And it was a national problem occurring in all but four States in our country. While passing this apology is important, it not going to right every wrong. And it does not absolve us of our responsibility to continue to work to provide justice in American society. Justice at the polls for those who are made to stand in line for hours to exercise their right to vote. Justice in the schools so that every child has an equal educational opportunity. Justice in the workplace so that no worker will face discrimination. Let us use this opportunity not only to apologize for a shameful injustice but to dedicate ourselves to eradicating the remaining injustices in our society.”