fought foreclosures to save family homes and neighborhoods. He established himself as one of the nation's strongest advocates for struggling homeowners and distressed communities with the Save Our Neighborhoods Act, a bill that would allow many homeowners to stay in their homes by suspending the foreclosure process and reducing their mortgage principal. Literacy Clarke worked to reduce crime and restore hope by addressing the urgent crisis of illiteracy among African-American and Hispanic men. He co-authored a bipartisan resolution initiating national action for literacy. Rep. Clarke also introduced the first federal legislation to "Ban the Box," which would prohibit unfair discrimination against job applicants with certain criminal backgrounds. Clarke was a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, and the Congressional Progressive Caucus. Committee assignments Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications Committee on Science, Space and Technology Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee on Research and Science Education Electoral history Personal life Clarke is married to Choi Palms-Cohen. They married in 2007, after meeting at the offices of the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) in Ann Arbor, Michigan where she worked. They live on Detroit's east side where Clarke was born and raised. Clarke was raised as a Muslim but later converted to Catholicism. See also List of African-American United States representatives List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress References External links Hansen Clarke - Michigan Legislator Details Congressman Hansen Clarke official U.S. House website Hansen Clarke for Congress official campaign website Hansen Clarke at MichiganVotes.org Voting record: 1999–2000, 2001–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010 Michigan Bureau of Elections – Hansen Clarke (State Senate) campaign finance reports and data Michigan Bureau of Elections – Hansen Clarke (State House) campaign finance reports and data Michigan Liberal – SD01 |- |- 1957 births 21st-century American politicians African-American members of the United States House of Representatives African-American state legislators in Michigan American former Muslims American people of Bangladeshi descent Bangladeshi Roman Catholics Cass Technical High School alumni Catholics from Michigan Converts to Roman Catholicism from Islam Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning alumni Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Michigan Georgetown University Law Center alumni Living people Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives Asian-American members of the United States House of Representatives Democratic Party Michigan