Political Quotes

“I strongly support the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. I will be proud to vote in favor of it on the House floor today. I have continuously fought against racial violence and racial discrimination, and this legislation is an important step forward. This bill recognizes the federal role in directly confronting this type of racial violence. In his case, Emmett Till, an innocent African American boy, lost his life. His death came to symbolize the continual threat of violence that hung over the African American community and helped spark the Civil Rights Movement. But this bill, named for Till, goes beyond his circumstances. It also provides some modicum of justice for the victims of the People's Grocery Lynching in Memphis. Thomas Moss, Calvin McDowell, and Will Stewart were falsely accused and killed in Memphis on March 9, 1892. These three men were killed because they ``were becoming economic competitors to whites.'' For my district and the country, this vote is recognizing all the men and women who were lynched and never received any justice. In passing this bill, the House of Representatives will clearly say these types of actions--this type of hate--have no place in our country. Unfortunately, this isn't a historic phenomenon. Now, in the year 2020, we still struggle with bias motivated crimes, racial violence, and vigilantism. We see the continuation of racial violence directed at African Americans and other minorities today.…”