Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas

Assistant Legal professional Normal Kristen Clarke of the Justice Division’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Little Rock and Pine Bluff, Arkansas, on April 24 and 25 to proceed the Civil Rights Division’s tour to interact with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the division’s dedication to defending the civil rights of all People. U.S. Legal professional Jonathan Ross for the Japanese District of Arkansas joined her for the conferences and occasions on each days.

On Monday, Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke visited the historic Little Rock Central Excessive College, the place she met with Principal Nancy Rousseau and college students to debate careers in civil rights and the Civil Rights Division’s efforts to implement federal civil rights legal guidelines. This college 12 months marks 65 years for the reason that desegregation of the varsity. After her go to at the highschool, she took a tour of the Little Rock Central Excessive College Nationwide Historic Website.

Within the afternoon, Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke participated in a hearth chat with President Roderick L. Smothers Sr., college management and college students at Philander Smith School, an HBCU based in 1877. She mentioned her profession as a civil rights legal professional and the division’s efforts to handle financial justice points, together with housing discrimination. She additionally inspired the scholars to proceed to make use of their voices to advance racial justice and racial fairness.

After her go to to Philander, Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke met with the U.S. Legal professional’s Workplace for the Japanese District of Arkansas. She thanked the workplace’s management and workers for his or her service and dedication to defending civil rights.

She ended the day on the Willie Hinton Group Middle for a neighborhood dialog with Little Rock Mayor Frank Scott Jr., Police Chief Heath Helton and native stakeholders to listen to about native civil rights and racial fairness considerations, together with modern-day redlining, honest housing and points impacting small companies.

On Tuesday, Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke traveled to Pine Bluff to fulfill with Mayor Shirley Washington and Police Chief Denise Richardson. She reiterated the Justice Division’s dedication to work with native leaders to handle civil rights and racial fairness points.

Within the afternoon, she met with College of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Chancellor Laurence B. Alexander and took part in a hearth chat with college students as the varsity marked its one hundred and fiftieth anniversary. She inspired the scholars to pursue careers in authorities and public service, and mentioned the division’s broad civil rights enforcement efforts, together with work to handle legislation enforcement misconduct, and ongoing work to guard voting rights in Arkansas.

Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke ended her journey by becoming a member of Mayor Washington at a neighborhood listening session with dozens of native leaders, religion leaders and long-time residents, the place she mentioned the division’s broad efforts to fight hate crimes, guarantee academic alternative and handle modern-day redlining.

Within the upcoming weeks, Assistant Legal professional Normal Clarke will journey to Mississippi and South Carolina to proceed assembly with stakeholders in underserved communities.