III 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 39

Apologizing to the victims of lynching and the descendants of those victims 

for the failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legislation. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2005 

Ms. LANDRIEU (for herself, Mr. ALLEN, Mr. LEVIN, Mr. FRIST, Mr. REID, 

Mr. ALLARD, Mr. AKAKA, Mr. BROWNBACK, Mr. BAYH, Ms. COLLINS, 

Mr. BIDEN, Mr. ENSIGN, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. HAGEL, Mr. CORZINE, Mr. 

LUGAR, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. MCCAIN, Mr. DODD, Ms. SNOWE, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. SPECTER, Mr. FEINGOLD, Mr. STEVENS, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. 

TALENT, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. JEFFORDS, Mr. JOHNSON, Mr. KENNEDY, 

Mr. KOHL, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. NELSON of Florida, Mr. PRYOR, Mr. SCHUMER, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. 

SALAZAR, Mr. VITTER, Mr. OBAMA, Mrs. LINCOLN, Mr. SANTORUM, Mr. 

SARBANES, Mr. KERRY, Mr. BYRD, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COLEMAN, Mr. 

CRAIG, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. CANTWELL, Mr. DEMINT, Mr. 

DOMENICI, Mr. DORGAN, Mr. INOUYE, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. NELSON of 

Nebraska, Mr. CARPER, Mr. GRAHAM, Mr. BURR, Mr. MCCONNELL, Mr. 

BUNNING, Mr. MARTINEZ, Mr. BURNS, Mr. DEWINE, Mrs. DOLE, Mr. 

ROCKEFELLER, Mr. THUNE, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. WARNER, Mr. BAUCUS, 

Mr. ROBERTS, Mr. CHAFEE, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. BOND, Mr. CHAMBLISS, 

Mr. ISAKSON, and Mr. INHOFE) submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 

JUNE 13, 2005

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION

Apologizing to the victims of lynching and the descendants 

of those victims for the failure of the Senate to enact 

anti-lynching legislation.
2

SRES 39 ATS 

Whereas the crime of lynching succeeded slavery as the ultimate expression of racism in the United States following 

Reconstruction; 

Whereas lynching was a widely acknowledged practice in the 

United States until the middle of the 20th century; 

Whereas lynching was a crime that occurred throughout the 

United States, with documented incidents in all but 4 

States; 

Whereas at least 4,742 people, predominantly African-Americans, were reported lynched in the United States between 

1882 and 1968; 

Whereas 99 percent of all perpetrators of lynching escaped 

from punishment by State or local officials; 

Whereas lynching prompted African-Americans to form the 

National Association for the Advancement of Colored 

People (NAACP) and prompted members of B’nai B’rith 

to found the Anti-Defamation League; 

Whereas nearly 200 anti-lynching bills were introduced in 

Congress during the first half of the 20th century; 

Whereas, between 1890 and 1952, 7 Presidents petitioned 

Congress to end lynching; 

Whereas, between 1920 and 1940, the House of Representatives passed 3 strong anti-lynching measures; 

Whereas protection against lynching was the minimum and 

most basic of Federal responsibilities, and the Senate 

considered but failed to enact anti-lynching legislation despite repeated requests by civil rights groups, Presidents, 

and the House of Representatives to do so; 

Whereas the recent publication of ‘‘Without Sanctuary: 

Lynching Photography in America’’ helped bring greater 
3

SRES 39 ATS 

awareness and proper recognition of the victims of lynching; 

Whereas only by coming to terms with history can the United 

States effectively champion human rights abroad; and 

Whereas an apology offered in the spirit of true repentance 

moves the United States toward reconciliation and may 

become central to a new understanding, on which improved racial relations can be forged: Now, therefore, be 

it

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) apologizes to the victims of lynching for the 

3 failure of the Senate to enact anti-lynching legisla4 tion; 

5 (2) expresses the deepest sympathies and most 

6 solemn regrets of the Senate to the descendants of 

7 victims of lynching, the ancestors of whom were de8 prived of life, human dignity, and the constitutional 

9 protections accorded all citizens of the United 

10 States; and 

11 (3) remembers the history of lynching, to en12 sure that these tragedies will be neither forgotten 

13 nor repeated.

Æ