BROOKLYN — This November marks four years since Jamaican-American Congresswoman Yvette Clarke was elected to represent the 11th Congressional District in Brooklyn with its Caribbean-American and other diverse constituents.
Caribbean people at home and abroad often forget the accomplishments of its nationals in faraway lands, but this West Indian-American not only champions the cause of those who she represents in the hallowed halls of Congress but she also gives voice to the interests and concerns of the people of the Caribbean.
Yvette Clarke, born of Jamaican parents, has continued the district’s legacy of excellence set by the late Shirley Chisholm, the first black woman and Caribbean-American elected to Congress. As an activist, a community organizer and as a legislator, Congresswoman Clarke’s boldness, compassion and love for humanity have allowed her to become an effective leader and an outspoken advocate of numerous issues of great importance to her constituents.
Clarke was elected to Congress in November 2006 and represents residents of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Windsor Terrace, Brooklyn Heights, Sunset Park, Carroll Gardens, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Prospect Park. Prior to her election to the U.S. House of Representatives, she served on the New York City Council representing the 40th District in Brooklyn.
She succeeded her pioneering mother, former City Council Member Una Clarke, making them the first mother-daughter succession in the history of the council.
For this reason, Marketplace Excellence, a marketing firm located both in New York and the Caribbean, has named her “West Indian of the Week.”
