[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.

[[Page H14203]]

  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.

                          ____________________