After almost a century of attempts to outlaw lynching nationally, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved legislation Wednesday that would make the act a federal hate crime. The Justice for Victims of Lynching Act was sponsored by the Senate’s three African-American members: Kamala Harris (D-Calif.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.) and Tim Scott (R-S.C.). Under the bill, lynching ― an extrajudicial mob killing ― could be punished by a sentence of up to life in prison. “Lynching is a dark and despicable aspect of our nation’s history,” Harris tweeted after the vote. “We must acknowledge that fact lest we repeat it.”

Source: Huffington Post December 20, 2018 05:37 UTC