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Who is Kristen Clarke and how did she make history?
KRISTEN Clarke made history on May 25, 2021, when the US Senate voted to confirm her as assistant attorney general for civil rights.
The 46-year-old lawyer had been nominated by earlier this year to serve the crucial role.
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Who is Kristen Clarke and how did she make history?
Kristen Clarke will lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights division - becoming the first Black woman to hold the position.
She was confirmed in the Senate by a vote of 51-48 with Susan Collins as the only Republican voting yes.
The historic confirmation came exactly one year after George Floyd was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis.
“Throughout her career, Clarke has been an unwavering ally to the most vulnerable amongst us, upholding and protecting the civil rights of every American,” California Senator Alex Padilla, a Democrat, said in a statement to the .
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“I am thrilled to have supported her historic nomination and look forward to working with her to strengthen our democracy.”
Clarke, who attended Harvard University and the Columbia University School of Law, has had a distinguished legal career with an emphasis on civil rights.
"Our nation is a healthier place when we respect the rights of all communities," Clarke wrote, according to .
"In every role I've held, I have worked for and with people of all backgrounds - regardless of race, national origin, religion and disability status.
"I've listened deeply to all sides of debates, regardless of political affiliation. There is no substitute to listening and learning in this work, and I pledge to you that I will bring that to the role if confirmed."
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She spent several years at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) "where she helped lead the organization’s work in the areas of voting rights and election law across the country," according to an online bio.
Clarke speaks and writes regularly on issues concerning race, law and justice.
Republican Senators , Josh Hawley and did not back Clarke's nomination and criticized her views on police reform.
McConnell, the Senate Minority Leader, said Clarke had a “long history of statements that place the nominee on, frankly, the far-left fringe of the political spectrum," according to the Los Angeles Times.
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"This is not the right nominee for a crucial post at a crucial time.”
Clarke said during her confirmation hearing that "I do not support defunding the police," according to CNN.
"I do support finding strategies to ensure that law enforcement can carry out their jobs more safely and effectively and channeling resources to emotional health treatment and other severely under-resourced areas."
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