Kristen Clarke, a civil rights attorney, has been appointed by United States President-elect Joe Biden as associate attorney general in the Department of Justice to head the department’s civil rights division.
If confirmed by the Senate, Clarke will lead the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, where she will enforce civil rights laws and ensure equal justice for all Americans.
Clarke currently serves as president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, a national nonprofit that played a significant role during the 2020 elections.
“This job is about justice. It’s about equality. And under our DOJ, we’ll move closer to the TRUE meaning of equal justice under law,” Clarke tweeted.
Clarke’s parents immigrated to Brooklyn from Jamaica. In the past she has stated that she “grew up in a household that was about discipline, working hard in school, and about making the most of every opportunity.”
“We are thrilled at Kristen Clarke’s appointment as assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Justice Department. This appointment comes at a crucial juncture in America’s history to address the systemic inequities and structural racism that remain prevalent in our society. We congratulate Attorney Kristen Clarke and expect her to perform brilliantly in her role to ensure the twin pillars of equality and justice for all! The Jamaican community beams with pride at her Jamaican roots. We are indeed a ‘likkle but tallawah’ people,” said Dr. Dunkley said per The Gleaner.
Dr. Allan Cunningham, the Global Jamaica Diaspora Council Member for the Southern USA, was also elated over Clarke’s appointment.
“For many years, our music, culture, and food have been of international prominence. Now, we should include our management and leadership capabilities. Congratulations to Kristen Clarke, who is of Jamaican parentage, on her appointment by President-elect Joe Biden. We here in the Southeast Diaspora recognise her hard work and dedication to the discipline and are extremely proud of this appointment,” he said.
According to Jamaican attorney Wayne Golding Junior: “This appointment is yet another example of how the Jamaican Diaspora has truly assimilated seamlessly in the wider communities that they find themselves. They, oftentimes, work silently to effect positive change,and it is a wonderful and proud moment when their hard work and dedication is rewarded with influential appointments such as this.”
