Democrats Urge Investigation into Black Deaths Labeled as “Modern-Day Lynchings”

Nearly 60 congressional Democrats called on the Justice Department and FBI on Thursday to look into the deaths of Black individuals found hanging across the country, referring to these incidents as “modern-day lynchings.”

The letter, spearheaded by Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-MA), was sent to Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel. It drew support primarily from members of the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Progressive Caucus, including prominent figures like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), as reported by theGrio.

Pressley spoke out candidly, evoking disturbing memories of violence from the Jim Crow era.

“We cannot remain silent while the strange fruit of Black bodies hangs from trees across our nation, especially during this time of heightened anti-Black sentiment and resurgent white supremacy,” she expressed to theGrio.

Pressley pointed out that the circumstances surrounding these deaths invite “serious concerns of foul play” and emphasized that the lack of federal response suggests complicity. “This echoes the legacy of racial terror in the United States,” she stated in the letter.

Ocasio-Cortez showed her support on social media, stating that she was “proud to have signed onto” efforts to combat what they describe as racial terror. The letter mentioned a report documenting over 70 instances categorized as “modern-day lynchings” occurring between 2000 and 2025. The lawmakers demanded independent autopsies, thorough audits of local investigations, and extensive data collection on all hanging deaths involving Black individuals nationwide.

This letter comes amid reports that law enforcement and medical officials have classified most of the well-known cases as suicides. For instance, Cobb County, Georgia, ruled out foul play in the case of Kyle Bassinga, 21. Similarly, Mississippi authorities ruled that Delta State University student Demartravion “Trey” Reed died by suicide. The Albany Police Department reported “no evidence” of criminal activity in the death of Earl Smith, 58, while Wisconsin investigators concluded a preliminary finding of suicide in Torrance Medley’s death.

However, one case is still being treated as a homicide. Authorities have questioned Terence Bernard Anderson, the father of one of Tasia Fortune’s children, and have arrested him on unrelated charges involving weapons.

Former Senate staffer Matt Whitlock raised questions about the narrative. He pointedly asked, “What do you think ‘widespread’ means if only one of these was actually a homicide?”