US Senate confirms first African-American female civil rights leader

Ms. Kristen Clarke

In Washington, on May 25, the US Senate voted to confirm Ms. Kristen Clarke as the new head of the civil rights division of the Department of Justice in a vote with a ratio of 51 votes in favor and 48 votes against.

Maine Senator Susan Collins was the only Republican to vote in favor.

Ms. Clarke will be the first African-American woman to lead the influential Justice Department agency and will serve as assistant secretary for civil rights.

The civil rights division's duties include investigating local law enforcement agencies and addressing voting rights restrictions by states across the United States.

The confirmation comes on the one-year anniversary of the death of African-American man George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted in April.

Republicans opposed Clarke's nomination, arguing that she was anti-police and radical, while Democrats rejected those arguments.

The nomination was tied 11-11 in the Senate Judiciary Committee, but that did not prevent Clarke from being nominated to the full Senate.

Ms Clarke said during her confirmation hearing in April 2021 that she did not support the denigration of the police force.

She also emphasized support for finding strategies to ensure law enforcement can do their jobs more safely and effectively, while allocating resources to mental health treatment and other severely under-resourced areas.

Until her nomination to the top Justice Department post, Ms. Clarke was president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights.

In that role, Ms. Clarke was a staunch supporter of the John Lewis Act to advance voting rights.

Clarke's nomination battle bears many similarities to the confirmation of lawyer Vanita Gupta for the "number 3" position at the US Justice Department.

Both women have the backing of law enforcement groups, even as conservative lawmakers say they have anti-police views.

According to VNA