Yvonne Brathwaite Burke
Yvonne Burke | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office January 3, 1973 – January 3, 1979 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Constituency established | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Perle Yvonne Watson October 5, 1932 Los Angeles, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Democratic | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Children | Autumn and 1 stepdaughter | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Education | University of California, Berkeley University of California, Los Angeles (BA) University of Southern California (JD) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Yvonne Pearl Burke (née Watson, later Brathwaite; born October 5, 1932) is an American politician and lawyer from California. She was the first African-American woman to represent the West Coast in Congress. She served in the U.S. Congress from 1973 to 1979. She represented the 2nd District on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1992 to 2008. She served as Chair of Los Angeles County four times and served as chair pro tem three times.
In 1973, she became the first member of the U.S. Congress to give birth while in office, and she was the first person to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.
She served on the Board of Directors of Amtrak, having been appointed to the position by President Barack Obama in 2012 and retired in 2024.