[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 185 (Wednesday, December 5, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14198-H14203]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CONDEMNATION OF NOOSE INTIMIDATION
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H. Res. 826) expressing the sense of the House of
Representatives that the hanging of nooses is a horrible act when used
for the purpose of intimidation and which under certain circumstances
can be a criminal act that should be thoroughly investigated by Federal
law enforcement authorities and that any criminal violations should be
vigorously prosecuted.
The Clerk read the title of the resolution.
The text of the resolution is as follows:
H. Res. 826
Whereas in the past two months, nooses have been found in a
North Carolina high school, a Home Depot in New Jersey, a
Louisiana school playground, the campus of the University of
Maryland, a Columbia University professor's office door and a
factory in Houston, Texas;
Whereas the Southern Poverty Law Center has recorded
between 40 and 50 suspected hate crimes involving nooses
since September;
Whereas since 2001, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission has filed more than 30 lawsuits that involve the
displaying of nooses in places of employment;
Whereas nooses are reviled by many Americans as racist
symbols of lynchings that were once all too common;
Whereas according to Tuskegee Institute, more than 4,700
people were lynched between 1882 and 1959 in a campaign of
terror led by the Ku Klux Klan;
Whereas the number of dead lynching victims in the United
States exceeds the amount of people killed in the horrible
attack on Pearl Harbor (2,333 dead) and Hurricane Katrina
(1,836 dead) combined; and
Whereas African-Americans, as well as Italians, Jews, and
Mexicans, have comprised the vast majority of lynching
victims and only when we erase the terrible symbols of the
past can we finally begin to move forward: Now, therefore, be
it
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of
Representatives that--
(1) the hanging of nooses is a horrible act when used for
the purpose of intimidation and which under certain
circumstances can be criminal;
(2) this conduct should be investigated thoroughly by
Federal authorities; and
[[Page H14199]]
(3) any criminal violations should be vigorously
prosecuted.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Michigan (Mr. Conyers) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Forbes)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Michigan.
General Leave
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and
include extraneous material.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker and members of the committee, I am pleased to join my
colleagues in support of House Resolution 826, a resolution condemning
the hanging of nooses for the purpose of intimidation, violence, and
other criminal purposes.
Unfortunately, consideration of this resolution comes at a critical
time for our Nation. Many of us had thought the hanging of a noose, a
symbol of racial violence, hate, and intimidation down through history
was a practice relegated to our past. Since September, however, there
have been reports of approximately 50 noose-hanging incidents across
this country. It's no coincidence that these disturbing incidents
follow in the shadow of the Jena Six case, which documents continuing
racial inequity in our Nation even into this century.
As we all know, a hanging noose symbolizes lynching, one of the most
shameful, terror-ridden, racial crimes in our history and which, sadly,
can be traced back to the very founding time of the United States.
First used to punish African slaves as early as the 17th century, the
practice of lynching was commonplace until, I'm sorry to report, as
late as 1968. Between 1882 and 1962, nearly 5,000 people, most of them
African Americans, were lynched in our country.
There appears to be a resurgence in the hanging of nooses for
intimidation or other racist purposes. The Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission, for example, has filed more than 30 lawsuits for hanging
nooses in the workplace since the year 2001. The commission observed
``a disturbing national trend of increased racial harassment cases
involving hangman's nooses in the workplace.''
In October, a noose was found hanging, of all places, in the Nassau
County New York police headquarters locker room. Last month, hanging
ropes were found in the United States Coast Guard Academy in the bag of
an African American cadet and in the office of a diversity trainer.
{time} 1445
Noose incidents are also occurring with disturbing frequency in
schools throughout our country. At Louisiana's Jena High School, nooses
were hung from a tree that white students had regarded as their
exclusive domain for socializing after African Americans sat under the
tree. This sparked similar incidents in schools across our Nation. In
New York City, an African American professor at Columbia University
found a noose hanging on her office door. In North Carolina, four
nooses were found hanging at various locations at High Point Andrews
High School. Universities in Maryland, Delaware and Indiana have
reported noose incidents in recent months. In my own State of Michigan,
nooses were hung on the Central Michigan University campus weeks after
anti-Muslim pamphlets had been distributed.
As this resolution calls upon Federal authorities to investigate
noose incidents, I am heartened to note the Justice Department's
efforts to address this problem. At an oversight hearing on the Jena 6
incident held earlier by the Judiciary Committee, the Department stated
it viewed such noose hangings as possible violations of Federal civil
rights law.
I commend my colleague from the State of Texas, our new Member, Al
Green, who for his leadership on this issue should be really commended
as an important contribution that he has made. And I would like to
acknowledge the Judiciary Committee's members on both sides of the
aisle who helped advance this resolution with their active support. The
Committee on the Constitution chairman, Jerrold Nadler; the Crime
Committee chairman, Bobby Scott; also our stellar members from North
Carolina, Mel Watt; and from Texas, Sheila Jackson-Lee; from
California, Maxine Waters; Wisconsin, Tammy Baldwin; Georgia, Hank
Johnson; Tennessee, Steve Cohen; Wisconsin, James Sensenbrenner; and
Texas, Louie Gohmert. These and many others have been very helpful in
laying the groundwork for us to come together to hearten not just the
people in this country but our law enforcement agencies, particularly
the Department of Justice, in trying to reduce and indeed eliminate
this unfortunate system of hate that is spreading, unfortunately, in
our country.
I think we can head it off, and I hope with the passage of House
Resolution 826 that will be, in fact, accomplished.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I support House Resolution 826 to condemn the vicious
act of hanging a noose with the intent to intimidate and terrorize. Our
country's tragic history of brutal, racially motivated lynchings will
be forever associated with the vile symbol of the hanging noose.
The noose was used to instill fear in African Americans during our
Nation's struggle to protect the civil rights of all Americans. During
our country's period of reconstruction following the Civil War, the
infamous Ku Klux Klan and others used lynching to strike fear into the
hearts of African Americans. Lynchings were used to dehumanize their
victims, who were often horribly tortured and disfigured before they
were hung by a mob.
Today, everyone should recognize that the stark image of a dangling
noose, intended to intimidate and terrify, should be condemned in the
strongest of terms. And those who are ignorant of the terrifying
history of the symbol of the dangling noose must be educated, such that
they understand its grotesque history and come to never see its use as
a harmless prank.
There have been a disturbing number of recent incidents in which
nooses have been found under suspicious circumstances. Those incidents
are being investigated, and must be investigated. But we should also be
aware that some of these incidents may have been motivated by the
perverse desire for publicity. On Sunday, the Baltimore Sun reported on
a hoax in which a firefighter who reported finding a knotted rope and a
threatening note with a drawing of a noose in an East Baltimore station
house last month had placed the items there himself.
We also know of an instance in which another symbol of hate, a
swastika, was drawn on the door of a Jewish student at George
Washington University, but she later confessed to drawing the swastika
herself after she was caught doing so on a security camera.
We should recognize today that those who use symbols of hate for any
improper reason, including to get attention for one's own cause, are
contributing just as much to an atmosphere of intimidation as those who
do so motivated by hate for another group.
Finally, I want to note that while I support this resolution, one of
its provisions states that any use of the noose symbol as a means of
intimidation that constitutes a crime ``should be vigorously
prosecuted.'' That provision should be viewed in light of the
Department of Justice's policy on the Federal prosecution of juveniles.
Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``yes'' vote on this, and I reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Could I ask my colleague, the floor manager (Mr.
Forbes), I would like to ask unanimous consent for 5 minutes more on
each side if that would be agreeable with the gentleman.
Mr. FORBES. I would be happy to agree to that.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I ask that we have 5 additional minutes
added to each side.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Mr. CONYERS. I thank my colleague the floor manager and my friends on
the other side.
I am privileged now to recognize the gentleman from Texas, who came
to
[[Page H14200]]
me with this idea, Mr. Al Green, and I will yield him 3\1/2\ minutes.
Mr. AL GREEN of Texas. I thank Chairman Conyers. I thank Ranking
Member Lamar Smith. I would like to also thank the co-lead on this
piece of legislation, while it is a resolution, I consider it to be a
piece of legislation, and that, of course, would be Representative
Laura Richardson. I thank the floor manager, Randy Forbes, all of the
staff, and I especially thank the 60 persons that signed on as
cosponsors of this resolution.
Mr. Speaker, I am proud to have sponsored H. Res. 826, the
condemnation of noose intimidation. Noose intimidation. It has received
bipartisan support, and it has received it because America is a country
of hope, not hate. In America, we celebrate our diversity. We love
knowing that we can live together and that we can have the kind of
harmony and peace that America has always promised all of its citizens.
Noose intimidation has no place in America. Noose intimidation is the
invidious hanging or displaying of a noose for the purpose of
intimidation, humiliation, or denigration. When it is done under
circumstances that may constitute a crime, it ought to be investigated.
And if a crime has been committed, it ought to be vigorously
prosecuted.
Recently nooses have been found in North Carolina at a high school,
New Jersey at a Home Depot, Louisiana on a school playground, and in
Houston, Texas, at a factory. Fifty to 60 incidents involving nooses
have been reported since September 7. This is per the Southern Poverty
Law Center. Thirty more lawsuits have been filed by EEOC concerning
nooses. Four thousand seven hundred persons were lynched. Many of these
were Latinos, Jewish Americans, Italian Americans and African
Americans. This was done between 1882 and 1959.
America is a country of hope, not hate. For this reason, we believe
in the words of the Pledge of Allegiance ``liberty and justice for
all.'' That is why this legislation is important. We believe in the
words in the Declaration of Independence that all persons are created
equal and endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights,
among them life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That is why this
resolution is important.
Dr. King reminded us that it is not where you stand in times of
comfort and convenience but, rather, where you stand in times of
challenge and controversy. I am so proud that my colleagues have stood
with us in these times of challenge and controversy to condemn noose
intimidation. And I close with these words from Dr. King. He said, ``It
may be true that the law cannot make a man love me. But it can keep him
from lynching me.'' And I think that's pretty important.
God bless you, and I thank you.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, it is my privilege now to yield 3 minutes to
the gentleman from Connecticut (Mr. Shays).
Mr. SHAYS. Thank you for yielding me time.
There is no doubt in my mind that intimidation by using a noose is a
horrible, and must be considered a criminal act. I want to thank
Congressman Al Green of Texas for offering this resolution because it
is critical that the victims who have been targeted, all African
Americans, know that the U.S. Congress and all the people of America
strongly condemn this outrageous behavior and encourage its vigorous
prosecution.
In Jena, Louisiana, we have all seen the case of six black men who
were initially charged with attempted murder after a fight that was, in
part, prompted by the hanging of nooses by three white students, none
of whom were prosecuted.
This blatant form of racism has become more and more common, as the
resolution notes, with nooses being found in a North Carolina high
school, a Home Depot in New Jersey, a Louisiana school playground, the
campus of the University of Maryland, a Columbia University professor's
office, a factory in Houston, Texas, and in a police department parking
lot in Bridgeport, Connecticut. In my own hometown of Bridgeport,
police sergeant Joanne Meekins recently found a noose under her police
car.
As the local NAACP Chairman Craig Kelly rightly said in discussing
this outrageous incident targeting Sergeant Meekins, ``The noose has
become the new swastika or the new burning cross in this country and,
unfortunately, people seek to relive that horror.''
Conduct like this must never be tolerated, which is why I am glad
that Congress is passing a bipartisan resolution against these actions
and urging swift prosecution and full penalties for those who
perpetrate these senseless acts.
Our brothers and sisters throughout the country need to know that all
Americans stand with them in condemning the act of hanging nooses as an
attempt to intimidate and terrorize and that it must not be just
condemned but prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to call my dear
friend and newest member to the Congressional Black Caucus, Laura
Richardson, to speak, and I recognize her for 2\1/2\ minutes.
Ms. RICHARDSON. Part of what makes this Nation respected is our
ability to acknowledge history, both good and bad, and make the
conscious effort to not repeat those same mistakes.
Make no mistake about it. The noose is an ugly symbol, and it is a
painful reminder of a time period where a piece of rope was used to
administer criminal injustice and to intimidate an entire population.
Likewise, it is important to note that the lynchings were not limited
to African Americans alone. Historians have noted and documented at
least 605 cases of Hispanic Americans who were lynched between 1848 and
1928. According to the Tuskegee Institute, more than 4,700 people were
lynched between 1882 and 1959 in a campaign of terror led by the Ku
Klux Klan. Also noted is that white individuals were lynched during
that same time period, and of that 4,700, it is believed that at least
one-fourth were white members.
It is important to understand that the noose can create a memory of
pain as noted by my colleague. It is a pain that is often considered
similar to viewing a swastika. This is a terrible reminder to us all
that intimidation, whether it be done in speech or in action or in
symbols, should not be tolerated.
{time} 1500
In my own district, just less than 20 miles from my area, we had a
recent incident at the Cal State Fullerton campus. This is a State
campus where these acts of intimidation surfaced.
Regarding the first amendment, this resolution does nothing to impede
an individual's right to think or utilize the right to speak
differently than another. H. Res. 826 encourages the Federal Government
to investigate vigorously and prosecute any noose hangings when they
are done with the purpose to intimidate.
I want to thank my colleague Mr. Green from Texas for his leadership
on this issue, and also Chairman Conyers for dealing with this issue in
such a timely manner.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. The Chair is pleased to recognize the gentlelady from
California, Barbara Lee, who has graced us with her presence in my
district recently, and we yield her 2 minutes.
Ms. LEE. Mr. Speaker, let me thank the chairman for his leadership
and for his friendship. Also I want to thank our colleague from Texas,
Congressman Al Green, for introducing this very important resolution
and for your spirit with which you have introduced this.
Racism is alive and well in America, regardless of how we try to
sweep it under the rug. It is tragic and very sad that we need a
resolution like this today, but the rash of noose hangings across
America reminds us that it is necessary. Clearly, there can be no
better example of these tragic incidents than in the case of the Jena
Six.
What does this say about our Nation and the level of racism present
when we see an increase in these times of hateful acts? As a child, I
remember listening to these horror stories about the Klan and their
terrorist acts, and that is what this is. These are terrorist acts
against African Americans. And today, I just shiver at the thought of a
hanging noose and how intimidating this is for anyone, any community,
any family whose race has been targeted and has been terrorized by
these acts.
[[Page H14201]]
Every act of intimidation in the displaying of nooses must be
criminally prosecuted. It is a horrible act. A noose is a racist
symbol.
On behalf of the more than 4,700 people who were lynched between 1882
and 1968, let us pass this resolution, H. Res. 826, today, and
vigorously prosecute those who continue to harass, intimidate and hang
nooses in our country. These acts of hate have no place in America.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Thank you Congressman Green for allowing us
the privilege to say ``no'' to racism once again in America.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, it is my pleasure to recognize the former
Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Elijah Cummings of Maryland,
and we would grant him 2 minutes.
Mr. CUMMINGS. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of this
legislation, and I thank my colleague Mr. Green for sponsoring it.
As chairman of the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime
Transportation, I was recently outraged about an incident that happened
at the Coast Guard Academy that has been referenced here earlier where
a noose was left in the bag of an African American cadet, and then a
training diversity officer, a noose was left in her bag also.
Following these incidents, I went to the head of the Coast Guard,
Admiral Thad Allen, and at my request he and I visited the academy to
remind the cadets that despite their numerous accomplishments, they
will be judged by their weakest link. I stressed that any attack
against our Nation's defenders weakens and endangers us all.
I also talked to them about the strength of our Nation as a free
people and of their decision to put on the uniform of the United States
Coast Guard, symbolizing their duty to defend and uphold the right of
every person in our Nation to live in freedom, security and respect.
In my own life, I have learned through personal experience more about
the devastating impact of racial hatred than anyone should learn. And
this is what I know: Racism is an evil that seeks to destroy the
possibility that exists in every human being.
Mr. Speaker, in this time of integration and prosperity, some have
regretfully forgotten the negative stigma surrounding the noose and why
it cannot be displayed in jest. It is important to remind these few
that over 4,700 people were lynched in the United States between 1882
and 1959. And while the majority of lynching victims were African
Americans, many Italians, Jews and Mexicans have been lynched
throughout this Nation's history as well.
The noose is a symbol of oppression, hatred and intimidation for many
racial and ethnic groups, and we cannot tolerate its display. We must
respond to these incidents with determination and clarity, and H. Res.
826 is just one positive step in that direction.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to call upon the Chair of
the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, the Honorable Joe Baca of
California, and I yield him 2 minutes.
Mr. BACA. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H. Res. 826, and I want
to thank the Chair for his leadership on this issue. I want to thank my
good friend Congressman Al Green for his efforts in raising this
bipartisan awareness on this outrageous issue. This is the year 2007,
and yet we continue to see the hanging of nooses in America, that is
shameful, as a form of intimidation and racial discrimination.
Every child has the right to attend school freely. They should not
live in fear. And let me tell you, when this happens, many of our
children live in that kind of a fear and that kind of intimidation, and
that should not happen to our children, no matter who they are or what
color they are.
Every American has the right to a workplace that is free from
discrimination and hate. We are all children of God, and the Lord has
taught us to love thy neighbor and treat each other with dignity and
respect, not with hate or discrimination acts like this, but with
kindness and love.
Nooses remind us of the dark chapters of the past; yet they continue
to be used to create fear today, to create fear today. There have been
over 40 suspected hate crimes involving nooses in the last 4 months.
As Chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, I strongly support
this resolution, because this type of hate affects all of our
communities, not just the African American community, but all of us. We
should live without fear or intimidation in this country and allow
everyone to have that kind of freedom.
Over the years, more people have died from lynching than there have
been victims at Pearl Harbor, and many of them were African Americans,
Italians, Jewish and Mexican Americans.
We stand together in solidarity to say the hanging of nooses will not
be tolerated by anyone, anymore, for any reason, and I urge my
colleagues to do the right thing and support this resolution.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, on this bill that I think is supported by
virtually every Member of this house, I continue to reserve the balance
of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to recognize the gentleman
from Tennessee, a distinguished member of the House Judiciary
Committee, Mr. Steve Cohen, 2 minutes.
Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I want to thank the chairman and Mr. Green
for bringing this legislation.
It is my honor to serve on the House Judiciary Committee, where this
matter had a hearing. It is unfortunate that in 2007 we have to have a
hearing on such matters, but as Mr. Baca, Mr. Cummings and others have
so well expressed, these are symbols of racial hatred, of intolerance
and intimidation and oppressive factors, trying to intimidate people
into not exercising their rights. Predominantly, these have been used
against African Americans, but also against other ethnic minorities.
Growing up, one of the stories I heard about many times was a man
named Leo Frank. Leo Frank was accused and unjustly convicted of a
crime in Georgia, taken out of his jail in 1915 in Marietta, Georgia,
and hung by an angry mob. Mr. Frank was later found by the courts and
the Georgia system of justice to have been illegally, improperly
convicted and was given a posthumous pardon, but a little too late.
As with so many incidences with lynchings throughout the South
against different minorities that people didn't understand and they
showed their ignorance by employing vigilante tactics to take the law
into their own hands, this couldn't be rectified, because Mr. Frank was
dead.
This was an unfortunate part of our history. The Klan was a part of
it, but there were people beyond the Klan that engaged in it. And
rather than being like the Statue of Liberty and welcoming people to
this country, this great land of opportunity where people could pursue
happiness and enjoy freedom, the symbol of the noose has told people
you are not welcome, you are not to exercise your rights, and you
should be weary of trying to speak up and exercise your first amendment
rights and be what America is all about.
This legislation needs to pass. When nooses are displayed, they are
anti-American. They need to be investigated for criminal enforcement by
our Justice Department, and they will, with this resolution's passage.
I thank Mr. Green for bringing it. I want to say that, unfortunately,
in my jurisdiction in Memphis, there was a situation in Germantown,
Tennessee, where three people at the Germantown Performing Arts Center
recently in August put a noose out. They were fired. They should have
been prosecuted as well. The noose does not belong in America.
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I continue to reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased now to recognize the
distinguished gentleman from Louisiana, Mr. William Jefferson, who has
worked very hard on matters of racial justice across his career in the
Congress, and I yield him 2 minutes.
Mr. JEFFERSON. Mr. Speaker, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I rise today in
strong support of H. Res. 826. I commend Representative Al Green for
taking this timely and necessary step against the heinous act of noose
hanging, an act that can only be described
[[Page H14202]]
as one of racial discrimination and hate.
Now is the time for the Congress to address the well over 50
incidences of noose hangings that have occurred in the past 2\1/2\
months. In my home State of Louisiana, at least three have been
reported: One in Jefferson Parish; one in St. Tammany Parish; and, of
course, the most infamous of all, one in Jena, Louisiana.
Mr. Speaker, Professor Ogletree of Harvard Law School got it right
when in recent testimony before the House Judiciary Committee relating
to what happened in Jena, he said in part, ``We have failed at basic
lessons of history if an American can blithely characterize hanging
nooses on a tree as an innocent prank or practical joke, as some
officials in Jena have done. This is not an act to be minimized,
laughed off or chalked up to childhood shenanigans.''
With nearly 5,000 people lynched from the late 1800s to the early
1900s, a noose today is a powerful symbol of pure barbarism. Given the
context, the noose to an African American who knows his history is
nothing less than an expression of hatred. It is, too, a warning of
impending violence and likely death.
Indeed, this is the correct reading of history and the correct
context in which to view the importance of this resolution.
The composition ``Strange Fruit,'' Mr. Speaker, written by Lewis
Allan and originally sung by Billie Holiday, lays bare the savagery of
lynching and therefore what noose hanging means in real terms to
African Americans. It reads:
``Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant South,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is the fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.''
Professor Ogletree concluded his testimony by saying, ``If all that
emerges from these unfortunate events in Jena are educators more
systematically informing community members and students about the
shameful history of lynching, this will be a positive step.'' I agree,
Mr. Chairman, but more is needed.
{time} 1515
Mr. FORBES. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to advise my colleague, the
floor manager, that I have only one final speaker. We will be
concluded. So if you would like to yield back, we would finish up.
Mr. FORBES. With that advice, I would just like to again encourage
all of our Members, and I believe everybody stands in support of this
resolution, and I hope they will all vote in favor of it.
With that, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CONYERS. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Virginia, and I
yield finally to the Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, a
distinguished lawyer, prosecutor, judge, and now a chairman in the
House of Representatives, to close for us.
Mrs. JONES of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, thank you for the privilege.
They say some things bear repeating. These words bear repeating.
Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant South,
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth,
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh,
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh.
Here is fruit for the crows to pluck,
For the rain to gather, for the wind to suck,
For the sun to rot, for the trees to drop,
Here is a strange and bitter crop.
The words of a songstress, but the words of the South, the words of
African Americans from across this country and other ethnic groups.
Seeing somehow in America we have begun to believe that this conduct is
acceptable, that we can hang nooses, we can do crosses, we can do all
kinds of things against people without believing that it has some
impact or that it can hurt. It hurts like a knife. It cuts like a
knife. My mama from Alabama, my daddy from Alabama, my in-laws from
Georgia, Alabama; the stories go on and on about how terrible nooses
can and have been.
America, this is the Congress saying our sense is that this is
terrible conduct and that it should be criminalized. But, America, wake
up. What if it were you that got the noose. What if it was your
grandfather or grandmother that was hung. What if they were required to
hang on a tree and let the blood suck and sip from them and crows gnaw
at them. It would be a terrible situation for you. As one American to
another, you should cry for us, too.
Let's pass this legislation, ladies and gentlemen. Let's tell our
country, let us tell the world that we will never, ever allow such a
thing or such conduct to happen again. No more nooses.
Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support
of H.R. 3845, introduced by my distinguished colleague from my home
state of Texas, Representative Al Green. Through this important
resolution, the House of Representatives will explicitly go on record
against a form a racial hatred that has plagued this country for far
too long.
As a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, I have been an
outspoken advocate for civil rights and the vigorous prosecution of
those who violate our Nation's laws that protect the most vulnerable
amongst us. Though we cannot stop acts of racism, ignorance and
intolerance, we must speak with a clear and loud voice and say the time
has come for our Nation to no longer turn a blind eye to acts of hatred
and intolerance.
This legislation comes at a time when the hanging of nooses is making
a resurgence around the country. We all know about the case in Jena,
LA, where a noose was hung in a school yard and resulted in the
division of a town along racial lines, and where six black teenagers
were arrested for beating a fellow white student after a series of
racial disturbances. One of those students, Mychal Bell, just yesterday
pled guilty to lesser charges after one of the largest civil rights
protests in years and the largest march in the South since the 1960s.
This October, the Judiciary Committee held hearings on the matter, to
address those responsible for administering the laws governing hate
crimes. Unfortunately, as we have seen since the events of Jena, nooses
are being hung in the halls of some our country's most distinguished
institutions and businesses. At Columbia University's Teachers College,
a noose was left on the doorknob of an African American female
professor. In Chicago, a noose was found at a Home Depot construction
site. In Queens, New York, a woman was arrested after hanging a noose
in her yard and threatening to hang her African American neighbor's
child from it. In my own home state of Texas, two students in Pearland
hung a noose in their school parking lot.
It is unfortunate that this Congress is taking up this issue only
after companies such as Home Depot and Verizon, as well as colleges and
universities across the country and numerous other institutions, have
already spoken against these acts with a loud and clear voice. The time
has come for the United States Congress to speak just as loudly and say
we will not tolerate these heinous acts.
The symbol of the noose is powerful and offensive. Thousands of
African Americans have been lynched in this country simply for being
the ``wrong'' color. The incident of noose hangings of Black America
was not aberrational or occasional. At any moment in time, an African
American could lose their life at the hands of an angry white mob, and
the symbolism of the noose still hangs over this country like a black
cloud. The noose has come to symbolize white supremacy and the
subjugation of an entire race of people. It has been used as a weapon
against those who dared to challenge their condition. It has been used
as a weapon to silence the voice of those who dared to speak out. The
ritualistic, brutal, and public murders that took place with a noose
were done specifically to terrorize the African American community. The
threat of lynching was used to prevent people from voting, marching,
protesting, getting an education, and even starting a business. The
noose as sign of intimidation dates back to 1896 as a means of voter
suppression. Today, we see the noose used to intimidate educational and
business institutions, teachers, workers, community leaders and now our
children.
With the passage of this resolution, our country and this Chamber
will say, in no unclear terms, that we will not be intimidated and we
will not allow our children to be intimidated.
I applaud this important resolution for the message it sends to the
country and the world, that we do not tolerate hatred and bigotry
against anyone.
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Let me remind those who regard the hanging of a noose from a tree in
Jena, Louisiana or anywhere else in this country as a harmless act: it
is not harmless and it is not just a juvenile prank. It is a
frightening and symbolic play for power, as was captured so poignantly
by Billie Holiday in her unforgettable rendition of Southern Fruit:
Southern trees bear strange fruit,
Blood on the leaves and blood at the root,
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze,
Strange fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
While the use of this racist tool continues, we must not forget that
over 4,700 people were lynched between 1882 and 1959 in a campaign of
terror led by the Ku Klux Klan. Nor should we forget that more people
died at the hands of lynch mobs than died in the attack on Pearl Harbor
(2,333) and died during Hurricane Katrina (1,836) combined.
Mr. Speaker, we must act now to stop the use of this racist and evil
symbol of America's bitter waters. I urge my colleagues to join me in
supporting this important legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Conyers) that the House suspend the rules
and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 826.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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