Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Louisiana as part of the department’s civil rights tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the Department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans.
On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke, along with US Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana, met with about 20 community interest groups in Tallulah, Louisiana. Tallulah is in Madison Parish, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the state. The meeting focused on a range of civil rights issues, including equitable education, voting rights and re-entry efforts. Community leaders expressed their gratitude for the Justice Department’s willingness to work with rural communities.
That afternoon she traveled west to Grambling, Louisiana to attend Grambling State University, where she met with President Richard Gallot Jr. and attended a student fireside chat to hear their civil rights concerns, to discuss their paths as attorneys and to encourage students to consider careers in civil rights.
For her last stop, Assistant Attorney General Clarke traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana. On Tuesday, she met with Attorney Brown’s “Focusing on the Future” Community Advisory Group to learn about racial justice issues in Shreveport, including education, prison conditions and prosecuting civil rights.
Later that afternoon, she met with the staff of the US Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana and thanked them for their dedicated service and commitment to protecting civil rights.
In the coming weeks, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will continue to meet with stakeholders in underserved communities, with the next stop in early April in Memphis, Tennessee.
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