Yvonne Brathwaite Burke

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke in 1950

Yvonne Watson was born on October 5, 1932, in Los Angeles as only child to James A. Watson and the former Lola Moore.[7][8]

After first attending a public school, she was sent to a model school for exceptional children.[1] At Manual Arts High School she was a member of the debate team and served as vice president of the Latin Club her junior year and Girls' Vice President in her senior year.[9]

Burke attended the University of California, Berkeley from c. 1949 to 1951 before receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1953.[10] She subsequently earned a J.D. degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 1956.[11] Burke is one of the first black women to be admitted to University of Southern California Law School.[1]

In 1957 she married Louis Brathwaite and in 1964 they divorced.[1] She married William A. Burke in Los Angeles on June 14, 1972. Their daughter Autumn Burke was born on November 23, 1973.[7][8][12]

Mrs. Brathwaite first became interested of running for public office while working as a volunteer for the reelection of president Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964.[13]

Prior to representing the 2nd District, Burke served as Vice-Chairperson of the 1972 Democratic National Convention[14] (she was the first African-American and the first woman of color to hold that position, and presided for about fourteen hours when the chair left the convention on its last day[15][16]), represented the 4th District (1979–80), was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives initially representing portions of Los Angeles (1973–79), and was a member of the California State Assembly representing Los Angeles' 63rd District (1966–1972). Many of her early legislative efforts centered around juvenile issues and limiting garnishment of wages.

A lot of what she achieved influenced her to convince others to run after their dream, so she went to children's hospitals and encouraged some of the children to never give up. She said: "No matter at is in your way never give up and chase after your dream, with no interference of discouragement."

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, c. 1975

During her tenure in Congress, she served on the House Select Committee on Assassinations, House Beauty Shop Committee, and the House Committee on Appropriations; during her tenure on the Appropriations Committee, she fought for increased funding to aid local jurisdictions to comply with desegregation mandates [14]

In 1973, with the birth of her daughter Autumn, Burke became the first member of Congress to give birth while in office and the first to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.[1][14]

She did not seek re-election to Congress in 1978, but instead ran for Attorney General of California. She lost to the Republican George Deukmejian.[17]

In 1979, shortly after leaving Congress, Governor Jerry Brown appointed her to the Board of Regents of the University of California; but she resigned later that year when Governor Brown appointed her to fill a vacancy on the L.A. County Board of Supervisors. Burke was the first female and first African-American supervisor. Her district, however, was largely made up of affluent, conservative white areas on the coast. In 1980, Burke was defeated in her bid for a full term in the seat by Republican Deane Dana. In 1982, Brown again appointed her to the Regents.

In 1992, Burke ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. After a hard-fought campaign that often turned negative, Burke defeated State Senator Diane Watson.

In 2007, she announced that she would retire when her term expired in 2008. On July 27, 2007, the Los Angeles Times published a front-page story revealing Burke was not living in the mostly low-income district she represented, but rather in the wealthy Brentwood neighborhood, an apparent violation of state law.[18] Burke responded that she was living at her Brentwood mansion because the townhouse she listed in official political filings was being remodeled.[19]

Braithwaite Burke is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.[20]

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

• Yvonne Brathwaite Burke, Africana: The Encyclopedia.
• Ebony, (September, 1967). "Women Who Make State Laws": p27-34.
• Gray, Pamela Lee. "Yvonne Brathwaite Burke: The Congressional Career of California's First Black Congresswoman, 1972–1978." Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California, 1987.

• United States Congress. "Yvonne Brathwaite Burke (id: B001102)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Yvonne Burke's oral history video excerpts at The National Visionary Leadership Project
• Appearances on C-SPAN