NAACP hires ex-Biden DOJ civil rights chief as group takes on Trump: ‘Legal mind this moment demands’
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“Kristen Clarke is exactly the legal mind this moment demands,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP.
Kristen Clarke, the former head of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights office under the Biden administration, has joined the NAACP as its general counsel, the civil rights organization announced on Wednesday.
The NAACP, founded in 1909 during the height of racial violence and discrimination against Black Americans, said the hiring of Clarke, an esteemed Columbia Law-educated civil rights attorney, is part of the group’s scaled efforts to combat the Trump administration’s rollbacks of Civil Rights era protections for the more than 48 million Black Americans living in the United States.
“Kristen Clarke is exactly the legal mind this moment demands,” said Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP. “Her record of fearless advocacy, leadership, and deep commitment to justice makes her the ideal General Counsel to help chart our path forward. As we face unprecedented attacks on voting and civil rights, having Kristen Clarke at the helm of our legal operations brings strategic vision, disciplined leadership, and innovative advocacy. It’s a new day at the NAACP’s Office of General Counsel.”
Clarke is a history-making attorney who President Joe Biden appointed as Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ’s powerful Civil Rights Division, where she prosecuted numerous cases related to civil rights and voting rights violations. After being confirmed by the U.S. Senate in 2021, Clarke became the first woman and the first Black woman to lead the DOJ Civil Rights Division. Clarke’s division opened 11 pattern or practice investigations into police departments across the country, filed lawsuits, and intervened in several cases to protect voting rights, particularly those of Black voters, and charged more than 105 defendants in more than 95 cases of bias-motivated crimes.
In her new role at the NAACP, Clarke will oversee the civil rights organization’s legal strategy and operations. The NAACP notes that Clarke will also ensure that the group’s advocacy, policy, and legal work remain “coordinated and impactful, and rooted in the lived experiences of the communities across the country that are the lifeblood of the Association’s efforts.”
Clarke’s move to the NAACP comes as civil rights groups decry several actions by the Trump administration, including the elimination of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs across the federal government and the administration’s assertion of control over significant aspects of federal elections.
“The NAACP has stood on the front lines of justice for over a century, and I’m deeply honored to join this historic organization at this critical moment in our democracy,” Kristen Clarke said in a statement. “Our communities are under relentless attack — from the ballot box to their wallets — and this moment demands that we use the full weight of the law to promote justice and accountability. Together, we will protect the right to vote, challenge discrimination in all its forms, and ensure that Black America’s voice is heard loud and clear.”
The NAACP has already sued the Trump administration over President Donald Trump’s executive order cracking down on elections and sued the states of Texas and Missouri over their redistricting of election maps that target Black and Brown communities. The civil rights group got involved in cases related to the Trump DOJ seeking sensitive voter information from states and the recent FBI raid of the Fulton County elections office in Atlanta. The NAACP said its Office of General Counsel is also actively pursuing numerous other gerrymandering, First Amendment, and voting rights cases across the country.