Vigorously pursue hate crimes and civil rights abuses

Memos indicate a new emphasis

Updated: Tuesday, January 12th, 2010 | By Wes Allison

This isn't the sort of a promise that can be crossed off a list once it’s accomplished; it will require an ongoing effort by President Barack Obama and his new point man at the U.S. Justice Department, Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas E. Perez.

But it appears the Obama administration has begun making good on this promise, beginning with a civil rights enforcement memo issued by the acting assistant attorney general for civil rights, Loretta King, on July 10, 2009. The memo to the civil rights officers and directors in every federal agency outlined new procedures for helping the Justice Department "in a renewed effort to ensure the consistent and effective enforcement of Title VI," the Civil Rights Act.

The memo also said the Justice Department was making it a priority to address civil rights issues in emergency preparedness and response – echoes of Hurricane Katrina – and to enforce federal civil rights laws when local governments use federal grants.

"The administrative power of Title VI -- linking funding to nondiscrimination -- proved to be as powerful as litigation, particularly in the area of education desegregation. Why? Because the federal government determined that Title VI had powerful potential and worked boldly to ensure enforcement," the July 10 memo said. "Although the context has changed, the need for vigilance and for strong agency action to root out discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin have not."

Meanwhile, since his installation ceremony on Nov. 17, 2009, Perez has been pushing an agenda of "restoration and revitalization" for his department, which critics say was overly politicized and often hamstrung during the Bush administration. In testimony before Congress and in speeches, he has made it clear that he intends to aggressively pursue encroachments on civil rights. In testimony to a House Judiciary Committee subcommittee, he also said he was purging political considerations from hiring practices in his division. 

Finally, as part of this promise, Obama pledged his assistant attorney general for civil rights would lay out a plan for diversifying the office personnel within 100 days; Perez has only the had the job about two months, so he still has another month and change to go. The Justice Department has yet to respond to queries about Perez’s report, but the apparent efforts to revamp the office amount to enough for us to find that this campaign promise is In the Works.

Sources:Dec. 18, 2009, text of speech by Thomas E. Perez, assistant attorney general for civil rights, to the American Constitution Society at the National Press Club.

June 10, 2009, civil rights enforcement memo from the acting assistant attorney general to civil rights officers at federal agencies.