New York Attorney General Letitia James continues her fight against racism

As the self-dubbed “people’s lawyer,” Letitia James pledged in her 2018 campaign for Attorney General of New York that “I am not about privilege or politics. I’m about people … I won’t stop working for you.” In the past couple of months, as the spread of the coronavirus pandemic has severely impacted New York, her values and goals remain the same as she continues to fight for marginalized communities and vulnerable people.

In an interview with Essence, James recounted how she’s continued to stand up against what she regards as divisive speech and illegal activities from the sitting President. But she’s now facing a different fight. As the Attorney General of the hardest-hit state by the coronavirus, James and her staff are fighting price gouging and medical scams, while also fighting for New Yorkers facing legal needs during this uncertain economic time.

James is also fighting racism against the Asian community because of references to the “Chinese virus.” In an effort to assist people experiencing this new form of racism, James has set up a hotline for people to report hate crimes (1-800-771-7755). As James says, “No one should live in fear for their life because of who they are, what they look like, or where they come from.”