Unfortunately, the "Covid-19 hate bill" didn't actually do much. What "protections" did it actually give to Asian people? It's not like Asian hate crimes stopped after it was passed.
I think it would be very possible to pass a similar bill for Black folk, though in an election year it's obviously somewhat harder because everything's harder in Congress. But I'm not sure what difference such a bill would even make.
What would you actually want to see in the bill?
There will never be a magic bullet (or bill in this instance) that will protect black people (or any people) from hate. The idea is for it to at least deter open acts of violence and hate (by extreme sentencing and punishments), and make it a mainstream notion that blacks are protected. There’s a reason this mass shooter didn’t even mention scoping out a synagogue or other ethnic area; in practice, we are not a protected class of people.
The publicity that came from the bill put Asians and Asian-Americans in a prime position in media, entertainment and elsewhere. I didn’t know AAPA month (which is this month) was even a thing until the entire stop Asian hate movement started. There’s also a stronger focus from law enforcement in protecting Asian establishments that I don’t believe was prevalent until that bill.
Is it a lot of lip service? Maybe. But I do know they have hotlines and other avenues that now DIRECTLY address anti-Asian concerns. There is NO specific avenue for blacks to report any type of discrimination. We are lumped in with everyone.
What I would want to start (others feel free to add):
-Open and transparent reporting of any and all anti-black hate threats, regardless of credibility. Law enforcement is not transparent with black communities when it comes to threats.
-Any verbal harassment based on black hate a felony offense
-Any person or company responsible for job or career loss based on anti-black hate punished by a felony offense or federal sanction
-email and hotline specifically to report incidents of anti-black hate. This should be accompanied with free legal consultation and access to resources on how to proceed.
-federal dollars for increased training and security for establishments in majority black areas, if requested