Washington, D.C. — Today, the Senate voted 51 to 48 to confirm Kristen Clarke as the new head of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. She becomes the first Black woman to head the influential division. In response, Jocelyn Frye, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:
Kristen Clarke is an accomplished, talented, committed, and supremely qualified civil rights lawyer who has worked tirelessly to protect voting rights, support fair housing, defend victims of hate crimes, and fight for fairness and justice for all Americans. She is immensely qualified to head the office charged with enforcing these critical rights, especially at a time when our nation faces the growing threat of white supremacist violence, misogynist attacks targeting women of color, and shameless efforts to suppress voter turnout. As we mark the one-year anniversary of the killing of George Floyd, her confirmation means that enforcing civil rights and fighting systemic discrimination will be a priority for the Justice Department.
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