Jamaican confirmed to lead civil-rights fight in US Dept of Justice
Published:Wednesday | May 26, 2021 | 12:00 PM
Kristen Clarke, a second-generation Jamaican, was on Tuesday confirmed by the United States Senate to head the Department of Justice civil rights division.
She becomes the first woman of colour to head the department.
Clarke faced near absolute opposition from Republican senators.
In the end, the vote was 51-48 in her favour, with Susan Collins being the only Republican senator to support her confirmation.
Clarke is a civil rights attorney with many years' experience.
Taking charge of more than 350 attorneys, Clarke is expected to chart choppy waters in the Biden administration with voting rights and police shootings of blacks taking centre stage in an era marked by vigorous lobbying by the Black Lives Matter movement.
Her confirmation vote coincided with the first anniversary of the death of George Floyd, an African American whose last words, "I can't breathe", and murder by a policeman triggered protests that rippled across the US and the globe.
In a statement quoted in a Los Angeles Times report, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla praised Clarke's historic nomination and expressed eagerness to work with her.
"Throughout her career, Clarke has been an unwavering ally to the most vulnerable amongst us, upholding and protecting the civil rights of every American," Padilla said.
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