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If his reported nomination is confirmed by the Senate, attorney Eric Holder will become this country’s first African-American attorney general. Nominated by president-elect Barack Obama, Holder is the most qualified person for the job. Though the appointment is not yet official, Holder’s background and commitment to fairness promise a march toward equality in this nation’s legal system. 

Holder’s resume is impressive. He has served as both a judge and U.S. attorney in Washington D.C. He was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the position of deputy attorney general in 1997. During his career, Holder has worked to fight corruption in politics and prosecuted several high-profile political leaders. He has spoken out against the cruel treatment of detainees at Guantanamo Bay and has criticized the Bush administration for the civil liberties policies it introduced after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001.  Liked by both Democrats and Republicans, Holder has the relationships and reputation to work for positive legal change.

This change will surely trickle down to the black community. A long-time mentor of black youth, Holder has worked to instill values and to provide a positive role model for at-risk youth. He understands firsthand the negative impact the blacks-in-prison crisis has had on our communities. He knows that police misconduct in communities of color is real. And he realizes that, even in an era when a black man could and would become president, the civil rights of many blacks and Latinos are still being violated. This insight will prove invaluable when the Justice Department is forced to tackle these issues head on. Holder won’t be operating from a position driven by rhetoric; instead, his decisions will be driven by first-hand experience and a desire to make real change.

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Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

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