Watching U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke excel, adapt brilliantly, and make significant strides in the United States political arena is overwhelming. This is genuinely an ascension for her career.
As a young college student at the age of 23 or 24, somewhere there, she was one of the many people volunteering with the campaign for her mother, former New York City Council Member Dr. Una Clarke. Yvette later became a New York City Council Member, representing Brooklyn’s 40th City Council District. Since then, her upward trend in New York City politics, particularly in Brooklyn, has not stopped.
Clarke has played a safe and steady game as if groomed for what was to come. Her modus operandi, her mother, Una Clarke, has grounded her through all her positions. Dr. Clarke also campaigned for her daughter, “Just remember one word…Clarke,” she said as she campaigned for her daughter, the first time Yvette ran for Congress. Yvette Clarke has now become the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus in Washington, DC. A significant and influential body known as the “conscience of the Congress.”
Yvette Clarke was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, to Jamaican parents Dr. Una Clarke and her husband, Leslie Clarke, Sr. The feisty politico, Dr. Una Clarke, was the first Caribbean-born woman elected to the New York City Council, clearing the path for the younger Clarke’s political career.
Their Jamaican roots run strong and deep. Yvette carries a sense of purpose and leadership from her Jamaican culture and historical Black legacy. Yvette Clarke knows the Caribbean community in Brooklyn, which she serves well. She understands the fabric of their contribution to American society.
U.S. Rep. Clarke’s appointment is a source of inspiration and pride for the African American and Caribbean-American communities across the United States. Yvette has always been able to find ways to elevate her Brooklyn community and its people.
Her participation in the struggles and rights of the Haitian community in Brooklyn, which she serves, is one example. Her tenacity and strength in addressing the plights and disasters her constituents face in the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, especially in economic development and immigration, are issues she has consistently labeled and brought to attention.
Clarke’s Jamaican heritage also prepares her to be a much-needed liaison between the United States and the diverse Caribbean community, helping to strengthen economic ties and trade relations.
As both an African American and Jamaican, Clarke can easily recognize the issues that Black people in America have been denied for years and implement strategies to tackle the problems for the young, both African-American and Caribbean-American. The U.S. Rep. is also a role model for young Black people in America, consistently implementing programs that both high school and college students can benefit from.
The elevation to this position as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus for U.S. Rep. Clarke carries tremendous responsibilities. One of the most urgent issues the U.S. Rep. will have to tackle almost immediately is the issue of immigration.
“As the Congressional Black Caucus Chair, Clarke will focus on utilizing the caucus’ historic diversity and membership to support an all-hands-on-deck approach to reestablish and expand upon its connection to the Black community,” her office reported.
She will pursue the caucus’s goals by engaging in the community through education and equipping Black Americans with the necessary resources and tools to improve their overall economic development and prosperity. “The caucus will also bridge the disparities that have for too long brought them harm,” her office declared.
In addition, “under her leadership, the Congressional Black Caucus will address the issues of health care, criminal justice reform, and voting rights, furthering the policy agenda of the previous congress and upholding the traditions set forth by its founders for the betterment of all Black communities.”
The Congressional Black Caucus is a demanding position requiring visions, tenacity, and commitment to build collaboration. Amid being qualified to maneuver the job, Clarke’s dedication to her Caribbean roots in her Brooklyn Congressional District proves that the U.S. Rep. will be loyal and will continue her tireless efforts always fighting for Black people, especially on the issues of immigration and economic disparities.
Caribbean-Americans acknowledge that this position for the U.S. Rep. is an accomplishment for Yvette Clarke that goes beyond a part of history being made.
The U.S. Rep. has shaped her own political career in a complex political world. She has held on to her roots as a Black woman with a Caribbean heritage. She has never stepped away from her Jamaican experience, always embracing her mother’s legacy. For these and many other reasons, she will serve her Black community with grace and pride, even in the pivotal times that the community may have to face.
