U.S. Assistant Attorney General visits NELA

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - The United States Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice, Kristen Clarke visited the city of Tallulah and Grambling state University on Mar 20, 2023. This visit is considered to be a part of the DOJ’s civil rights tour that focuses on deepening connections with southern communities.

At Grambling State University, students in the criminal justice and public administration majors were able to have an open discussion with Clarke about civil rights issues people face in Northeast Louisiana.

Clarke says the goal of this “fireside” discussion is to address the needs of the community and collaborate on resolutions.

“We are committed to using our federal civil rights laws to protect the rights of those most vulnerable among us,” Clarke says. “Being here, on the ground in Louisiana today gives us the chance to do just that, to hear from students, to hear from residents, and to hear from concerned citizens about the civil rights challenges that we face today and what we can do to ensure a more just and equitable society going forward.”

President of the university, Rick Gallot, says this visit also serves as a way to encourage and inspire the students.

“These are things that our students really need to see and I think it helps to motivate and really crystallize what the opportunities are for them as graduates of Grambling,” Gallot says.

One student, Diamond Cook, hopes to be a criminal defense attorney. She emphasized the importance of seeing a successful woman of color make a difference in her field.

“She is a representation for little black girls and little black women like me that are up and coming that are in college, high school, and just dreaming to become something bigger than themselves and to make more of themselves, because the opportunities are honestly endless; you just have to envision yourself being there,” Cook says.

So far, the DOJ Civil Rights Division has visited Selma, Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, and Durham, North Carolina. Clarke says they plan to go to Shreveport and Memphis in the future.

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