Yvonne Brathwaite Burke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yvonne Burke
Member of the Amtrak Board of Directors
Incumbent
Assumed office January 1, 2013
President	Barack Obama Donald Trump Joe Biden
Member of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
In office December 8, 1992 – December 1, 2008
Preceded by	Kenneth Hahn
Succeeded by	Mark Ridley-Thomas
Constituency	2nd district
In office January 3, 1979 – December 2, 1980
Preceded by	James A. Hayes
Succeeded by	Deane Dana
Constituency	4th district
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California
In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979
Preceded by	New constituency (Redistricting)
Succeeded by	Julian Dixon
Constituency	37th district (1973–1975) 28th district (1975–1979)
Member of the California State Assembly from the 63rd district
In office January 2, 1967 – January 3, 1973
Preceded by	Don Allen
Succeeded by	Julian Dixon
Other positions held Chair of Los Angeles County In office December 4, 2007 – December 2, 2008 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 3, 2002 – December 2, 2003 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 3, 1997 – December 2, 1998 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 7, 1993 – December 6, 1994 Preceded by Edmund D. Edelman Succeeded by Gloria Molina Chair Pro Tem of Los Angeles County In office December 5, 2006 – December 4, 2007 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 4, 2001 – December 3, 2002 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 3, 1996 – December 2, 1997 Preceded by Zev Yaroslavsky Succeeded by Don Knabe In office December 8, 1992 – December 7, 1993 Preceded by Edmund D. Edelman Succeeded by Gloria Molina
Personal details
Born	Perle Yvonne Watson (1932-10-05) October 5, 1932 (age 92) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Louis Brathwaite ​ ​ (m. 1957; div. 1964)​ William Burke ​ (m. 1972)​
Children	Autumn, and one step daughter
Education	University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of Southern California (JD)

Yvonne Pearl Burke (born October 5, 1932) is an important American politician and lawyer from California. She made history as the first African-American woman from the West Coast to serve in the U.S. Congress. She was a member of the U.S. Congress from 1973 to 1979.

Yvonne Burke also served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1992 to 2008. During her time there, she was the Chair of Los Angeles County four times. She also served as chair pro tem (a temporary chair) three times.

In 1973, she became the first person in the U.S. Congress to give birth while holding office. She was also the first to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Since 2013, she has been a member of the Board of Directors for Amtrak, a national passenger rail company. She was appointed to this role by President Barack Obama.

Early Life and Education

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke in 1950

Yvonne Watson was born on October 5, 1932, in Los Angeles. She was the only child of James A. Watson and Lola Moore.

She first attended a public school. Later, she went to a special school for very bright children. At Manual Arts High School, she was part of the debate team. She was also vice president of the Latin Club and girls' vice president in her senior year.

Burke studied at the University of California, Berkeley from 1949 to 1951. She then earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1953. She continued her education at the University of Southern California Law School, earning a law degree (J.D.) in 1956. She was one of the first Black women to be accepted into this law school.

Beginning Her Political Journey

Yvonne Burke's first step into politics was volunteering for President Lyndon B. Johnson's reelection campaign in 1964. In 1966, she was elected to the California State Assembly. She represented Los Angeles' 63rd District until 1972. Early in her career, she focused on issues affecting young people. She also worked to limit how much of a person's wages could be taken to pay debts.

In 1972, she served as vice-chairperson of the 1972 Democratic National Convention. This was a big event where the Democratic Party chose its candidate for president. She was the first African American and the first woman of color to hold this important position. She even led the convention for about 14 hours on its final day.

That same year, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She served three terms in Congress.

Serving in the U.S. Congress

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, around 1975

During her time in Congress, Yvonne Burke was part of several important committees. One of these was the House Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how government money is spent. She worked hard to get more money to help local areas follow rules for desegregation. Desegregation was about ending separation based on race.

In 1973, her daughter Autumn was born. This made Yvonne Burke the first member of Congress to give birth while in office. She was also the first to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. This was a major step forward for women in politics.

She decided not to run for Congress again in 1978. Instead, she ran for Attorney General of California. However, she did not win that election.

Later Public Service Roles

After leaving Congress in 1979, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Yvonne Burke to the Board of Regents of the University of California. This board oversees the University of California system. Later that year, Governor Brown appointed her to fill a vacant seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Burke became the first woman and first African American to serve as a supervisor in Los Angeles County. Her district included many wealthy areas. In 1980, she lost her bid for a full term in that seat. In 1982, Governor Brown appointed her to the Regents again.

In 1992, Burke ran for another seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, representing District 2. This election happened just weeks after the 1992 Los Angeles riots. After a challenging campaign, she won the election.

In 2007, Burke announced she would retire when her term ended in 2008. On March 29, 2012, President Barack Obama nominated her to serve on the Amtrak Board of Directors. The U.S. Senate approved her nomination, and she has been on the board since then.

Family Life

Yvonne Burke married Louis Brathwaite in 1957, and they divorced in 1964. She married William A. Burke in Los Angeles on June 14, 1972. William Burke is also known for creating the Los Angeles Marathon.

Their daughter, Autumn Burke, was born on November 23, 1973. Yvonne and Autumn Burke made history as the first mother and daughter to both serve in the California Assembly.

Memberships and Honors

Yvonne Burke is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. This is a historically African-American sorority.

She is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration. This group recognizes leaders in public service.

Images for kids

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  Yvonne Burke

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  Yvonne Brathwaite Burke in 1950

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  Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, around 1975