The former head of the Civil Rights Division in the Obama administration’s Department of Justice will now run the nation’s largest civil and human rights coalition.
Vanita Gupta, a longtime civil rights litigator, will become the first woman to be the president and chief executive of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. The coalition represents 200 national groups.
Gupta, 42, will take control of the organization on June 1, according to a statement from the group. She is also the first child of immigrants to head the organization.
“At a time when our nation’s ideals and progress are being threatened in such fundamental ways, the Leadership Conference is a vital nerve center of the broad swath of civil and human rights organizations that are fighting for justice, fairness, and equality around the country,” said Gupta in a statement. “Civil and human rights work has never been easy, and these unprecedented times demand a clarity of vision, strategy, and solidarity that the Leadership Conference coalition is uniquely positioned to champion.”
Gupta takes over for civil rights leader Wade Henderson, who announced his retirement in November 2015 after leading the organization for about 20 years.
Gupta worked on criminal justice reform during her tenure at the Justice Department, which also involved working as deputy assistant attorney general.
According to the Leadership Conference, it was her work on “advancing constitutional policing and criminal justice reform; prosecuting hate crimes and human trafficking; promoting disability rights and protecting the rights of LGBTQ individuals; and ensuring voting rights for all” that makes her their ideal new leader.
She saw oversaw the federal investigation of the police departments in Ferguson, Baltimore and Chicago, and worked on the lawsuit against North Carolina’s bathroom bill.
Gupta, who began her legal career with the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, graduated from Yale University and received her law degree from New York University School of Law.
