Kristen Clarke, assistant Attorney General for Civil Right at the U.S. Department of Justice, visited Pine Bluff Tuesday for a roundtable meeting to discuss and hear about racial issues in south Arkansas.
Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington hosted the event at downtown’s Art Space. Washington said it was important to be on the DOJ’s “radar and have their attention” for federal funds and help when it comes to civil rights issues. About 30 city officials and community leaders were invited to the afternoon session. State Rep. Vivian Flowers of Pine Bluff and acting U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas also attended.
Clarke said it was important to see and hear what was occurring on the ground in the South especially since racial discrimination in all sectors still exists.
The DOJ is investigating hate crimes, law enforcement abuse, economic justice, voting rights and equal opportunity for housing access in Arkansas and surrounding states.
One problem still in existence in the United States is redlining. Redlining is a discriminatory practice by which banks, insurance companies and other entities refuse or limit loans, mortgage and insurance in specific locations to keep minorities from buying property.
Clarke explained the redlining process in an interview with Deltaplex and why it is a focus for the DOJ.
Gun violence was also a focus of the forum. Ross said that gun violence is the number one caseload his office faces every day.
“We can’t arrest ourselves out of the problem,” he said.
But Ross added that “Glock switches” on guns that can turn a gun into a machine pistol, firing 21 shots in three seconds is a serious issue facing not just Arkansas but the country.
Earlier in the day, Clarke met with Washington privately before heading to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff for a “fire side chat” with Chancellor Laurence Alexander and students.
