Statement from Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson on the Tragic Lynching Deaths in Mississippi

Today, I spoke with a heavy heart as Mississippi is once again gripped by tragedy. On September 15th, Demartravion "Trey" Reed, a 21-year-old Black college student at Delta State University, and Cory Zukatis, a 36-year-old unhoused man from Brandon, were both found hanging from trees in separate incidents just hours apart. The echoes of these losses reach deep into our nation's history, a painful reminder that the shadows of racial violence and exclusion have not yet left us.

Mississippi's legacy weighs on all of America. From 1881 to 1968, the Tuskegee Institute documented more than 3,400 Black Americans lost to lynching, while the Equal Justice Initiative now recognizes that tally at closer to 6,500. These statistics are not mere numbers, they represent generations of families shattered by acts of terror meant to subjugate and silence. For over a century, Congress failed to respond effectively, killing over 200 antilynching bills in inaction and delay.

But in 2022, with the passage of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act championed by Congressman Bobby Rush, the United States finally made lynching a federal hate crime. This law reflects a profound moral commitment to prevent such tragedies from recurring.

While officials have not labeled these deaths as lynchings, the truth remains: When a Black student is discovered hanging from a tree in Mississippi, our country must confront history, and ask hard questions about justice, dignity, and belonging. Each loss, regardless of the motives or circumstances, calls us to collective action and reflection.

In this moment, I urge the Department of Justice and Attorney General Pam Bondi to fully deploy the law that Congress worked so long to pass. The Emmett Till Antilynching Act must not gather dust, it must serve as a living shield for every family seeking truth, accountability, and hope. The safety of our future depends on the justice we bring today.

When free speech is celebrated in principle but targeted in practice, when student voices and political opponents are threatened with silence, it is a sign that America stands at a moment of moral clarity. We must protect every citizen's right not only to speak, but to live free from fear and harm.

Let these tragedies be the last. Let compassion, accountability, and action light the way forward for Mississippi and for America.

- Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-1)