Clarke, Pressley, and Colleagues Demand Investigation Into Black People Found Hanging, Invokes Legacy of Lynching in America

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 10, 2026 MEDIA CONTACT: e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov c: 202.913.0126 Letter Comes Amidst Alarming Spike in Possible Modern-Day Lynchings Text of Letter (PDF) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke (NY-09) and colleagues, led by Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), wrote to the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), demanding a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into the numerous incidents of Black people found hanging across the country. The letter follows a series of deaths that raise suspicion of foul play given the role of lynching in American history. The growing number of Black people found hanging in public is a national crisis. A recent report documented more than 70 modern-day lynchings in the United States between 2000 and 2025. In 2026 alone, there have already been at least 10 reported hangings of Black people. They were as young as 18 years old and lived in different parts of the country, including Mississippi, Michigan, and New York. Many families have publicly questioned the conclusions of local and state investigations. “Inaction by the federal government is tantamount to complicity. This is part of the legacy of racial terror in the United States, and this neglect has long-term consequences,” the lawmakers continued. “Not only are innocent lives lost, but lynching inflicts deep traumatic and psychological wounds on family members, neighbors, and the entire Black community.” “Congress enacted the Emmett Till Antilynching Act in 2022 to ensure the DOJ and FBI are empowered to fully investigate suspicious deaths and hold individuals accountable,” the lawmakers continued . “It is incumbent upon you to do just that.” This letter demands a thorough, transparent, and comprehensive federal investigation into every hanging death of a Black individual across the United States. At a minimum, each investigation, with permission of the decedents’ families, should include an independent autopsy, an audit of local and state law enforcement investigations, review of physical and testimonial evidence, and a final report submitted to Congress explaining the agency’s findings. The letter also calls for robust data collection that tracks the hanging deaths of Black people transparently and systematically. Joining Congresswoman Clarke and Pressley in sending the letter are Representatives Alma Adams, Yassamin Ansari, Becca Balint, Nanette Diaz Barragán, Joyce Beatty, Wesley Bell, Sanford Bishop, Everton Blair, Brendan Boyle, Shontel Brown, Janelle Bynum, André Carson, Troy Carter, Jasmine Crockett, Mark DeSaulnier, Sarah Elfreth, Jesús “Chuy” García, Sylvia García, Jimmy Gomez, Al Green, Adelita Grijalva, Jahana Hayes, Glenn Ivey, Jonathan Jackson, Henry C. “Hank” Johnson, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Robin Kelly, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Summer Lee, Jennifer McClellan, LaMonica McIver, Gregory Meeks, Analilia Mejía, Christian Menefee, Kweisi Mfume, Eleanor Holmes Norton, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Frank Pallone Jr., Mark Pocan, Stacey Plaskett, Delia Ramírez, Terri Sewell, Lateefah Simon, Haley Stevens, Marilyn Strickland, Shri Thanedar, Bennie Thompson, Rashida Tlaib, Ritchie Torres, Lauren Underwood, Nydia M. Velázquez, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxine Waters, Bonnie Watson Coleman, Nikema Williams, and Frederica Wilson. Full text of the letter is available here . ###