(WASHINGTON) – Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law president and executive director, Kristen Clarke, issued the following statement after she helped lead a discussion among civil rights leaders this afternoon with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect, Kamala Harris:
“Throughout the Trump administration, Black people and other communities of color were silenced, marginalized and ignored. President-elect Biden and Vice-President-elect Harris signaled that their approach will be one that centers racial justice and civil rights.
“In this critical meeting, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law emphasized that respecting the dignity and humanity of our most vulnerable communities must be at the center of the new administration’s efforts to confront the profound problems related to race that we face as a nation. Following a year of marches protesting police violence, an intensifying pandemic, and a massive rise in white supremacy and violence, we know well that this transition is one of the most important in modern history.
“The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law called on the Biden-Harris administration to create a Voter Access Commission to respond to voter suppression, promote reforms that will guarantee voter access, and counteract the attacks levied against democracy in the wake of November election.
“Simply put, President Trump abandoned vulnerable communities in America, defied civil rights, and pursued policies that led to the oppression of Black people and people of color. As we move into the new year, the incoming administration must understand that Black lives do matter and that message was delivered loud and clear. The Biden-Harris administration must complete the unfinished business of 2020 when it comes to bringing about an end to police violence, voter suppression and white supremacy.”
Background:
Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, met with President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, along with six other civil rights leaders, in a virtual meeting that lasted for nearly 2 hours. The organization also presented transition priorities for the new administration here.
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About the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law – The Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers’ Committee), a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, was formed in 1963 at the request of President John F. Kennedy to involve the private bar in providing legal services to address racial discrimination. The principal mission of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law is to secure, through the rule of law, equal justice for all, particularly in the areas of voting rights, criminal justice, fair housing and community development, economic justice, educational opportunities, and hate crimes. For more information, please visit https://lawyerscommittee.org
