James Byrd Jr. was brutally murdered in a hate crime 20 years ago today. Chained to the back of a truck and dragged for miles through Jasper, Texas, he was killed because of the color of his skin. This is what happened in the years that followed [1/7]
dallasnews.com/news/crime/201…
dallasnews.com/news/crime/201…
To remember Byrd and address what had occurred, there were efforts to pass the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. For years, it faced sharp opposition in Congress including from Texas reps, senators, and our current Attorney General Jeff Sessions.
It failed in 2001, 2004, 2005. In 2007, it passed the House but failed in the Senate. When it finally passed the Senate, it received a veto threat from the president and eventually failed again. But advocates across the country refused to give up. Continued marching for progress.
So in 2009 with a new president, they tried again. Though opposed by some Texas reps, it passed the House. It went to the Senate. Newly appointed AG Eric Holder testified in favor. With 5 members crossing the aisle, it passed. On Oct 28, President Barack Obama signed it into law.
My colleague John Lewis reminds us of something Dr King used to say: there is nothing more powerful than the rhythm of marching feet. For James & Matthew, advocates marched on, accepting they might fail at first but knowing their incremental progress would eventually cause change
For it's never enlightened members of Congress or presidents who've gotten the hard things done. It's the people who've applied the pressure that has formed the political will to force them to get the right thing done. We see that in every civil rights fight of our history.
In the memory of James Byrd Jr., in the memory of Matthew Shepard, in the memory of those killed in hate crimes before and after their time, we must continue the march for civil rights, equal rights, and a more just America where we are all treated with dignity and respect.
