Page 16 - The Indian EYE 010821

North The Indian Eye

AMERICANnewsline

16 JANUARY 08, 2021

sabrina, vanita, tarun, shanthi and sumona

more indian-american names in crucial positions

of incoming Biden-harris administration

vanita Gupta could make history by serving as the third highest-ranking

position at the Department of Justice

sabrina singh Vanita Gupta shanthi Kalathil sumona Guha tarun chabbra

neeraJ dhar in the criminal justice system, head of the Civil Rights Divi- Gupta, the former Chairman

Washington, DC Biden said. sion at the U.S. Department of and CEO of the chemical giant
“That’s a rare achievement Justice. Currently the president Rohm and Haas, and his wife,
S President-elect Joe and it speaks volumes about and CEO of The Leadership Kamla Gupta, was born in Phil-
Biden nominated Van- her capacity to unite people Conference on Civil and Hu- adelphia in 1974. She did part
Uita Gupta, a respected in common purpose, which is man Rights civil rights coali- of her schooling in France and
civil rights lawyers in America, what this is all about. Uniting tion, Gupta was nominated by England during her childhood
as his associate Attorney Gen- the American people. Born in President-elect Joe Biden for while Raj Gupta served as a
eral and called her a “proud Philadelphia, a proud daughter the position of Associate At- senior executive for Rohm and
daughter of immigrants from of immigrants from India, does torney General on January 7, Haas in Europe for more than
India who has fought for great- that sound familiar?” Biden 2021. a decade.
er equity.” If confirmed by the said while looking at Vice Pres- If confirmed by the Senate, After earning her BA and
Senate, the 46-year-old would ident-elect Kamala Harris. Gupta — who was described by graduating magna cum laude
be the first woman if Indian de- “If confirmed, Vanita will Biden as “one of the most re- from Yale University, Vanita
scent to serve in this role. be the first woman of color spected civil rights lawyers in Gupta earned her JD from the
During the Obama-Biden to serve as associate attorney America” — would make his- New York University (NYU)
administration, Gupta was put general. And I’m grateful. I’m tory, becoming the first person School of Law in 2001.
in charge of investigating the grateful that Vanita is leaving of color to serve as the Associ- She started her career as an
abuse of power in police de- her current job, leading one ate Attorney General, the third attorney at the National Asso-
partments in Ferguson, Mis- of the premier civil rights or- highest-ranking position at the ciation for the Advancement
souri and other communities ganizations in the world as she Department of Justice. of Colored People (NAACP)
torn apart by acts of violence answers the call to serve once The attorney’s history of Legal Defense & Educational
and racial injustice. Gupta again to ensure that our justice trailblazing dates back further Fund, where she successfully
helped institute common sense system is even more fair and as she became the first woman led the effort to overturn the
police reforms to build greater more equitable,” he said. confirmed as assistant attorney wrongful drug convictions of
equity, safety, and trust. She Vanita Gupta is a promi- general for national security 38 individuals in Tulia, Texas,
was commended for her work nent civil rights attorney, who during the Obama administra- who were ultimately pardoned
by both law enforcement and previously served as an acting tion. by then-Gov. Rick Perry.
those advocating for changes assistant attorney general and Gupta, daughter of Raj Continued on next page... >>

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