Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/704649
Kristen Clarke serves as president and executive director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law (Lawyers' Committee), a post she has held since January 1, 2016. Prior to her current position, Clarke was the head of the Civil Rights Bureau at the New York Attorney General's Office, where she spearheaded civil rights enforcement on a range of matters including criminal justice issues, education and housing discrimination, fair lending, barriers to reentry, vot- ing rights, immigrants' rights and LGBT issues. Of particular note, under her leadership, the Bureau secured landmark agreements with banks to address unlawful redlining, employers to address barriers to reentry, major retailers on racial pro- filing of consumers, police departments on reforms to policies and practices, and one of the country's largest school districts concerning issues relating to the school-to-prison pipeline. Previously, Clarke worked at the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc. (LDF) where she served as a pro- gram director helping to coordinate the organization's work in the areas of voting rights and election law across the country, with a focus on the Deep South. Clarke worked on cases defending the constitutionality of the Voting Rights Act, presented oral argument to the D.C. District Court in Shelby County, Alabama v. Holder and testified before federal and state legislative bodies. Before joining LDF, she worked in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice where she served as a federal prosecutor in the Criminal Section of the Division, handling police misconduct, police brutality, hate crimes, and human trafficking cases. She also worked on voting rights and redistricting cases through the Office's Voting Section. Clarke speaks and writes regularly on issues concerning race, law and justice. She has written numerous articles and books including Barack Obama and African American Empowerment: The Rise of Black America's New Leadership (co-edited with Dr. Manning Marable). She also currently serves as a Lecturer in Law at Columbia University School of Law. She received her A. B. from Harvard University and her J.D. from Columbia Law School. N E W S M A K E R S B M & T ••• March/April 2016 ••• www.blackmeetingsandtourism.com 6 Darren L. James, president and COO of KAI Texas, AIA, was recently elected chairman of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. "I am excited and humbled to be elected as Dallas' Black Chamber of Commerce Board Chair. For our 90th year, we'll continue to promote meaningful and significant participation of our members in the region's economic drivers, and invest in their growth through peer relationships, seminars and general business support," says James. Founded in 1926, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce serves as an advocate for the creation and growth of African American businesses in the Dallas community. The chamber actively promotes the expansion of business opportunities on behalf of its membership through referrals, partnerships, seminars, technical assistance and marketing. James has served on the Dallas Black Chamber Board since 2007. James has long been an active advocate of minority businesses in the Dallas area. He was named a 2014 Minority Business Leader by the Dallas Business Journal. Most recently, the Regional Black Contractors Association recognized James for his leadership, naming him the 1st Annual Herman Jerome Russell Award recipient. The announcement came as part of the association's Annual Year End Celebration held on Oct. 16, 2015. James was also recognized by the Asian American Contractors Association of Texas (AACATX) as a recipient of the Star Award as part of their 5th Annual Constellation Awards ceremony held on Oct. 15, 2015. The Star Award is presented annually to the corporate or agency individual who did the most outstanding job in helping AACATX members. KRISTEN CLARKE NAMED PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF NATIONAL LAWYERS' COMMITTEE DARREN L. JAMES NAMED 2016 CHAIRMAN OF DALLAS BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE