WASHINGTON — Shortly after Attorney General Merrick Garland shared a farewell message with his team, Kristen Clarke returned to her office at the Justice Department, reflecting on her tenure as the chief enforcer of civil rights in the country.

Clarke made history as the first Black woman to lead the Civil Rights Division during a time of national upheaval marked by the murder of George Floyd, a pandemic that severely affected communities of color, and an alarming rise in hate and violence nationwide. In an exclusive interview with YSL News, she expressed pride in the division’s accomplishments in prosecuting hate crime offenders and unprofessional law enforcement officials.

Despite the numerous significant achievements, especially in the last months of the Biden administration, Clarke felt a longing for more time to accomplish even greater things during this pivotal moment.

“This is demanding work, and I only wish I had more hours in the day to do even more,” she shared, surrounded by images of civil rights legends like Thurgood Marshall and Nelson Mandela.

While some initiatives remain unfinished, Clarke doesn’t express concern about the incoming Trump nominee, Republican lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, potentially reversing the progress made during her four years in office.

Clarke stated with confidence, “The dedicated staff at the Justice Department are committed individuals who diligently follow the facts and apply the law for the benefit of the American people, no matter the administration. I trust they will continue this crucial work moving forward.”

Clarke believed she could ‘rise to the challenge’

With Jamaican immigrant parents and a childhood in a Brooklyn housing project, Clarke chose to pursue her passion for civil rights over lucrative corporate law opportunities, joining the Justice Department during the George W. Bush era.

She later worked in New York’s Civil Rights Bureau and led the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, experiences that shaped her perspective significantly, according to Fatima Goss Graves, President and CEO of the National Women’s Law Center, who worked with Clarke at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

In 2021, she returned to her dream role, now in a leadership position.

After a time when the DOJ took a backseat on policing issues amid a national racial justice awakening, Graves noted, “It felt like we finally had a person who could truly rise to the challenge.”

Garland quickly promised to enhance Clarke’s civil rights division and initiate strong actions against voting-related obstacles faced by marginalized communities. As a longtime advocate for voting rights, Clarke went on to file lawsuits against states like Alabama, Texas, Georgia, Virginia, and Arizona over their restrictive voting laws.

Clarke keeps a framed copy of President Bush’s 2006 statement reauthorizing the Voting Rights Act as a reminder of the nation’s prolonged battle for universal voter access and the bipartisan efforts that created what she considers one of the most significant federal civil rights laws in U.S. history.

Significant successes, but police violence reform is ongoing

Garland overturned a Trump-era directive that limited the DOJ’s power to mandate changes in police departments under investigation for misconduct. This change allowed Clarke to highlight “striking racial disparities” in public safety, according to Janai Nelson, President and Director-Counsel of the Legal Defense Fund, who collaborated with Clarke in earlier years.

The DOJ succeeded in convicting over 180 police officers for civil rights violations, including the notorious “Goon Squad” officers who abused two Black men in Mississippi and those involved in the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Tyre Nichols. In the closing days of Biden’s presidency, Clarke’s team worked intensively to secure police reform agreements with troubled departments in Minneapolis and Louisville, Kentucky.

However, Clarke warned that the incoming administration could jeopardize these agreements, and city reform initiatives, like those in Memphis, might face uncertainty. Under Trump, the DOJ only initiated one police department investigation and made the issuance of consent decrees much tougher.

“I was sworn in on the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, and I am acutely aware that there remains much work to be done to secure justice,” Clarke reflected.

Tackling hate crime takes a toll on Clarke

One of Clarke’s primary concerns is how the country will address the persistent “hate crisis.”

With hate crimes reaching unprecedented levels, her department managed to prosecute over 125 individuals, including three men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery, and the perpetrator of the mass shooting at a Buffalo supermarket that killed ten Black individuals, as well as the white supremacist responsible for 23 deaths at an El Paso Walmart. Recently, the DOJ also published a groundbreaking report detailing the 1921 Tulsa race massacre, where white attackers, including law enforcement, killed nearly 300 Black residents.

Although engaging with victims of some of the most appalling crimes has been emotionally challenging, Clarke hopes that making these individuals feel acknowledged and understood will form an essential part of her legacy.

“These are the kinds of stories that haunt you at night but also fuel your commitment to come to work daily and advocate for our nation’s most vulnerable populations,” she noted.

People familiar with Clarke’s work emphasize her unique ability to connect with victims and survivors, such as Taylor Dumpson, a hate crime survivor who was successfully represented by Clarke’s team in a lawsuit against neo-Nazi Andrew Anglin.

Dumpson remarked, “I see this in her relationships with the families of Dennis and Judy Shepherd, Matthew Shepard’s parents, the family of James Byrd Jr., and other victims. Kristen has truly become part of our family,” highlighting the importance of her efforts to raise awareness and support local, state, and tribal initiatives at the grassroots level.

Clarke views federal workers as ‘wrongly and unjustly targeted’

From At the beginning, Clarke encountered racial attacks as well as criticism from Republican leaders and conservative commentators. Dumpson, who now works in the Rhode Island attorney general’s office, has found Clarke’s use of her own experiences with racism and sexism to aid others to be “very, very inspiring.” She views Clarke as a mentor, or “work auntie,” for guidance on topics ranging from legal matters to fashion, noting that Clarke is recognized for her vibrant suit collection.

During an intense 2 1/2-hour confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee, several Senate Republicans, including Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, were strongly critical of Clarke. They questioned whether she could serve as a neutral enforcer of civil rights, pointing to her previous remarks on subjects like voting rights, religious freedom, and law enforcement.

In July, ten Republican senators, including Cruz, wrote to Attorney General Garland requesting Clarke’s termination for not disclosing that she had been arrested in 2006 for a violent offense prior to her confirmation. Clarke explained that the arrest occurred when she was a victim of domestic violence and that it was not mentioned because it had been cleared from her record.

Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, who has worked alongside Clarke in the New York attorney general’s office, stated that Clarke was often targeted, like many other women of color dedicated to combating hate and defending democracy. “We witnessed numerous smear campaigns and attacks against Kristen that were baseless and fundamentally rooted in bigotry… however, I have always admired her grace and unwavering focus on her work,” Spitalnick remarked.

President-elect Donald Trump has promised to take legal action against his political opponents and has threatened Garland with imprisonment. When asked about her own safety or that of her family, Clarke acknowledged that she had observed federal employees being “unfairly and unnecessarily targeted.” “I want to see the temperature turned down,” Clarke expressed.

Concerns over Trump’s potential rollback of civil rights

Spitalnick voiced genuine worries that attacks on women, people of color, and public servants may escalate as the Trump administration takes charge. She mentioned a farewell event for Clarke this week, which had a “bittersweet” atmosphere, as civil rights leaders like Marc Morial, president and CEO of the National Urban League, and attorney Ben Crump honored Clarke’s contributions while simultaneously preparing for the challenges ahead.

Meanwhile, Trump appears ready to leverage the Civil Rights Division against diversity, equity, and inclusion policies that were intended to support marginalized communities—the very groups the division was established to protect.

As for Clarke, she is currently occupied with packing her office and spending quality time with her family, including her son Miles, a college soccer player studying finance and theology. Colleagues believe she won’t remain absent from the civil rights arena for long, though Clarke remarked that it will be challenging to surpass her accomplishments over the past four years. “I leave here feeling sad – it’s a bittersweet moment – but I am incredibly proud of what we have managed to achieve,” Clarke stated. Contributing: Kristine Phillips, YSL News; Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal; Reuters