Yvonne Brathwaite Burke facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yvonne Burke
Member of the Amtrak Board of Directors
In office January 1, 2013 – December 2024
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 American politician and lawyer from California. She made history as the first African-American woman to represent the West Coast in the U.S. Congress. She served in Congress from 1973 to 1979.

Yvonne Burke also served on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors for the 2nd District 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 member of the U.S. Congress to give birth while in office. She was also the first person to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She was a member of the Board of Directors for Amtrak, a national passenger rail company. She was appointed to this role by President Barack Obama in 2012 and retired in 2024.

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 attended a special school for gifted children before going to public school. At Manual Arts High School, she was active in 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. Later, she received a law degree (J.D.) from the University of Southern California Law School in 1956. She was one of the first Black women admitted to this law school.

Start of Her Political Career

Yvonne Burke's journey into politics began in 1964. She volunteered for President Lyndon B. Johnson's re-election campaign. 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 on laws to limit how much of a person's wages could be taken to pay debts.

In 1972, she became the vice-chairperson of the 1972 Democratic National Convention. 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 last day. That same year, she was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She served three terms in Congress.

Time in the U.S. Congress

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, around 1975

During her time in Congress, Yvonne Burke served on several important committees. These included the House Select Committee on Assassinations and the House Committee on Appropriations. On the Appropriations Committee, she worked to get more money for local areas. This funding helped them follow rules for ending segregation.

In 1973, Yvonne Burke's daughter, Autumn, was born. This made Yvonne the first member of Congress to give birth while in office. She was also the first to receive maternity leave from the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.

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

Later Political Roles

After leaving Congress in 1979, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Burke to the Board of Regents of the University of California. Later that year, Governor Brown appointed her to fill a vacant seat. This was for the District 4 seat on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. Yvonne Burke was the first woman and first African American to serve as a supervisor in Los Angeles County.

In 1992, Burke ran for the District 2 seat on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. She won this election after a challenging campaign. 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 appointment. She served on that board until 2024.

Family Life

In 1957, Yvonne married Louis Brathwaite, but 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

Yvonne Burke is a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. She is also a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.

See also

• Women in the United States House of Representatives
• List of African-American United States representatives