Kristen Clarke confirmed to lead DOJ's Civil Rights Division

With a vote of 51-48, the Senate on Tuesday confirmed Kristen Clarke to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division.

Clarke, a civil rights attorney, is the first Black woman to lead the division, which enforces federal statutes prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, and disability. During her confirmation hearing, Clarke said she would make voting rights a priority.

With Clarke at the helm, the Civil Rights Division will help lead the Justice Department's pattern-or-practice investigations of the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Clarke's confirmation coming on the anniversary of George Floyd's murder "is particularly poignant and appropriate."

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