Updated 8:06 PM ET, Tue May 25, 2021
Kristen Clarke speaks during the announcing of President- Elect Joe Biden and Vice President - Elect Kamala Harris Justice Department nominees at the Queen in Wilmington, DE on January 7, 2021.
(CNN)Democrats confirmed Kristen Clarke on Tuesday as the first Black woman to lead the Justice Department's Civil Rights division, a historic step that came on the anniversary of George Floyd's killing -- and after a vitriolic campaign by Republicans over her stance on policing.
The vote was 51-48 with Sen. Susan Collins as the only Republican voting for her confirmation. Clarke's confirmation breaks barriers in a department that was established in 1957.