The Honorable Yvonne Brathwaite Burke

U.S. Representative from California (January 3, 1973-January 3, 1979)

Yvonne Brathwaite Burke came to Congress as a nationally-known political figure. Her notoriety in the Democratic Party and experience in the California assembly opened doors not typically available to new Members, such as an assignment on the influential Appropriations Committee during her second term in the House. In her interview, Burke reflects on how she made history on Capitol Hill, as the first African-American woman to represent California in Congress and as the first Member to give birth while serving in the House. As a new mother, Burke entered unchartered territory for a woman Member of Congress: how to navigate a demanding career and care for an infant, all while in the public spotlight.

Burke explains how the fight for racial equality sparked her interest in politics. She acknowledges the demands placed on black Representatives during the 1970s, when frequent travel and speaking engagements across the country resulted in extra pressure and sometimes unrealistic expectations for Members often viewed as national representatives for all African Americans. In Burke’s discussion about her African-American colleagues, she shares her observations of the Congressional Black Caucus, including her time as chair—another historic achievement as the first woman to lead the caucus. She also describes the Congressional Women’s Caucus and the close bond shared by many of the women Members who, due to their small numbers, often socialized in the House and on congressional delegations. Burke’s interest in helping women extended beyond her district to the Capitol, something evidenced by her attempts to keep the House Beauty Shop open and to protect the rights of its women employees. In her oral history, Burke illustrates how race and gender intersected in the institution on the heels of the civil rights movement.

This interviewee appears in the following projects: A Century of Women in Congress, and The Long Struggle for Representation: Oral Histories of African-Americans in Congress.