ABOUT COUNCILMEMBER
YVETTE DIANE CLARKE
40TH District Brooklyn New York

Upon her election to the City Council, Yvette Clarke quickly emerged as a good listener and a true leader. Among council leaders she distinguished herself as a strong negotiator with a record of getting things done to meet the needs of the residents of her district.

Meeting the health care need of the people of Brooklyn has been at the forefront of Yvette’s legislative agenda. She has obtained funding for at Kings County, Brooklyn hospitals and a Bio-Technology Incubator at SUNY Downstate. She has help fund health care outreach programs, preventive care services and expanding women’s health care coverage. Yvette sees first hand in her community the damages Bush’s health care cuts and policy have done to the sick and disabled. The new Republican Medicare prescription drug program has already led to confusion and cuts in guaranteed health benefit for America’s seniors and people with disabilities.

As Co-chair of the New York City Council’s Women’s Caucus, Yvette has been an outspoken champion of women’s rights, obtaining first time funding for more than 20 different projects and organizations. She has spoken out against budget cuts by Bush and the Republican Congress on the following federal programs: Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), Elimination of the Women's Educational Equity Act (WEEA), the elimination of nutritional food stamp programs and early education services for low-income children and families.

Yvette is known by the parents in her district as a strong advocate for education. She has been a champion of education since her election to the Council, fighting for smaller classes, teacher development, and literacy programs. Under Yvette’s leadership, city funding for school, computers in the classroom and library services has increased by millions in her district. Yvette supported the successful lawsuit by the Campaign for Fiscal Equity to give New York City billions more in New York State education funding. Yvette has been working in Washington with the local democratic leadership to fully fund the No Child Left Behind Act, and find proper alternatives to it some of the stick reliance on testing.

As a Director of Business Development for the Bronx Empowerment Zone (BOEDC) and as the first director of the Bronx portion of the New York City Empowerment Zone where she administered the $51 million budget that resulted in the revitalization and economic development of the south Bronx. Yvette understands how to build affordable housing and how proper economic development can create jobs in high unemployment areas and business opportunities for small minority businessmen and women. Clarke also understands the need to keep and create new high end high paying professional jobs in the city and help high tech geniuses get funding for their inventions.

Councilmember Clarke’s constituent services program allows residents of her district to seek help from district office in navigating the often-complex world of government services. Every day, Clarke’s constituent services staff help residents meet their basic needs, finding them access to healthcare, and acting as a liaison with government agencies, and in many cases helping with citizenship requests.

Yvette Diane Clarke, born in 1964 to successful Caribbean immigrant parents, has lived all her life in the heart of Flatbush and has emerged as an inspiring testimony of the American dream. Upon graduating from Edward R. Murrow High School, Yvette received a scholarship to Oberlin College and was a recipient of the prestigious APPAH/Sloan Fellowship in Public Policy and Policy Analysis.

Clarke’s voting record reflects her philosophy that government should serve to protect people, uplift local communities and build bridges that bring everyone together. This means promoting the rights of every member of her district. Yvette is known as a passionate, intelligent, and effective rising star of the Democratic Party.

The Hon. Yvette Diane Clarke was elected to the New York City Council in November 2001 as the representative for the 40th District in Brooklyn. Councilmember Clarke was overwhelming re-elected to office in November 2003 and November 2005. She succeeded her pioneering mother, the former City Councilmember, Dr. Una S.T~Clarke, making them the first mother-daughter succession in the history of the Council. Councilmember Clarke is chair of the powerful Contracts Committee and is also co-chair of the Council's Women's Caucus. She also serves on the Education; Fire & Criminal Justice Services; Health; Land Use; Planning, Dispositions & Concessions; and, Rules, Privileges & Elections committees.

Extended History

Born and raised in Brooklyn, Councilmember Clarke attended public schools in the borough that gave her the opportunity to develop lasting friendships with other children from Central Brooklyn's ethnically diverse neighborhoods and communities. She emerged from her public school days as a popular honor student, earning a scholarship to Oberlin College in Ohio. Bright, articulate and hardworking, Councilmember Clarke soon won a Congressional internship in 1983 while still attending college. Thus began her sojourn into politics at a very young age. To those who know her well, this was a natural progression for her since she comes from a family with a strong tradition of community activism and service - something that was epitomized by the stellar public career of her mother.

----In Washington, Ms. Clarke learned how to analyze and develop public policy and her hard work was again rewarded when she landed a public policy fellowship in 1985 at Stonybrook University in New York. There she did intensive research on current theories that drove government agencies, non-profit organizations and the private sector, and what made them responsive to social issues. That same year she returned to her Brooklyn community and went to work as a Child Care Specialist/Family Day Care Coordinator at Erasmus Neighborhood Federation. Her duties included training and licensing neighborhood residents to provide care services for working parents.

-----Councilmember Clarke's personal growth, development and preparation for deeper involvement in the political life of her community continued on steady course, and in 1986 she became the Legislative Aide to New York State Senator Velmanette Montgomery. In this position she worked with City Council members to pass legislation that impacted positively on the Brooklyn community as a whole. Councilmember Clarke also developed strong interpersonal skills by becoming deeply committed and involved in helping community residents gain access to important services that impacted on their quality of life.

-----In 1988, Councilmember Clarke became Executive Assistant to Assemblywoman Barbra Clark of Queens. This stint gave her hands-on experience in working with legislators, legislative sub-committees, and caucuses. Councilmember Clarke became an expert in understanding the relationships between the legislative process, the local district concerns, and the legislative responsibilities of lawmakers.

-----Her career continued on this path when she joined the staff of Barbara Patton, then the Chairperson of the New York Compensation Board. As Ms. Patton's Confidential Assistant, Councilmember Clarke also served as the loan executive to the New York State Job Development Authority. There she oversaw the expedition of difficult and complex claims involving insurance carriers.

-----In 1991 Councilmember Clarke took on the job of Director of Youth Programs for the Hospital League/1199 Training and Upgrading Fund. By then, her management and organizational skills had developed to the extent that she now supervised and instituted innovative programs that originally involved about 100 youths to a program high of about 1,000. During this time she supervised over 70 employees at 16 locations though out the City.

-----Before being elected to the 40th City Council District in Brooklyn, Councilmember Clarke was Director of Business Development for the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation. As the first Director of the Bronx portion of the New York City Empowerment Zone, she was on the frontline of the rebuilding process, especially in the South Bronx. In this position, Councilmember Clarke worked with the Federal government, special interest groups, the business sector and state and local agencies to make sure that all developmental goals of Bronx were met.

-----As the City Councilmember for the 40th District in Brooklyn, Councilmember Clarke brings her formidable, organizational, managerial, all-round legislative and business skills to the job. These were the qualities that helped land her a position on the powerful Rules Committee of the City Council. Councilmember Clarke has a consultative, but firm and decisive leadership style that is supplemented by a unique ability to listen.

-----During her tenure in the New York City Council, Councilmember Clarke has worked diligently to deliver millions of dollars in resources to her district. In her commitment to improving the quality of life for the residents of Central Brooklyn, she has successfully provided capital funds for the improvement of local development projects- the redevelopment of the Prospect Park Playground; the Cortelyou Road Commercial Revitalization project; the Nostrand Avenue/Gateway Revitalization project; the establishment of the SUNY/Downstate Biotechnology Center; the Prospect Park South Historic District Revitalization; the establishment of 150 low-income apartments for senior citizens at the Kings County Assisted Living Center; and, new equipment and resurfacing for the Hamilton-Metz Playground; the installation of new street lights for the Ditmas Park Association and the West Midwood Civic Association; new trash cans and tree guards for the Church Avenue Merchants Block Association; and, the establishment of a new community center at the New York Congregational Center. She also founded the 40th District Sanitation Taskforce, a group of local community leaders and organizations that works with her office to advocate for a cleaner environment through newsletters and school art & essay contests.

-----Additionally, Councilmember Clarke has worked to raise awareness about and address the serious health issues that abound in Brooklyn- HIV/AIDS, diabetes, asthma, high infant mortality, access to adequate healthcare and lack of health insurance. She secured funding for a new coronary care unit and neonatal intensive care unit at SUNY/Downstate Medical Center and for a new sickle cell clinic at Kings County Hospital. These new centers will assist in providing quality health care for residents of central Brooklyn, particularly seniors and newborn infants. Central Brooklyn is the epicenter of the HIV/AIDS crisis in New York City and Councilmember Clarke has also used her powerful voice to speak out about this issue. She has passed resolutions in the Council calling for more funding for communities of color and she established the 40th District HIV/AIDS Taskforce, a group of local community-based organizations which works with her office to educate young and old in the community about this deadly virus through workshops, youth forums and prayer services.

-----During her four years in the New York City Council, Councilmember Clarke has funded local senior citizen centers to insure that seniors not only have a place to eat & fellowship, but also programs that provides creative and fulfilling meaning to their lives. The funding of senior centers at Fenimore United Methodist Church, Flatbush Seventh-Day Adventist Church, St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, the Shalom Senior Center, the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush and Dorchester Senior Center allows for the provision of transportation within the 40th District, weekend meals, computer training, arts & crafts programs, as well as cultural enrichment.

-----As the child of immigrant parents, Councilmember Clarke has worked to insure that the rights of immigrants are protected and they have opportunities to realize the American dream that generations of immigrants before them had. She provides thousands of dollars in funding for the Immigration Center at Medgar Evers College/CUNY, as well as to the Caribbean Women's Health Association, the Haitian Centers Council, the Crown Heights Jewish Community Center, the Council of Jewish Organizations of Flatbush, the Caribbean Research Center at Medgar Evers College/CUNY and the Consortium for Haitian Empowerment to provide immigrantion transition services. Additionally, Councilmember Clarke was one of several leaders in the Council who worked to create the Immigrant Opportunities Initiative, which provided $10 million in funding for job-training, English language programs, legal services, civics classes and immigrant seniors assistance throughout the city. She is currently working with her colleagues in the City Council to pass the Voting Rights Restoration Act, which would empower immigrant residents of New York City to vote in municipal elections.

-----A strong believer in empowering our youth, Councilmember Clarke has delivered millions of dollars in funding for local schools in Central Brooklyn, which provided new computers at several schools, a new playground at P.S. 92 and the revitalization of Wingate Park. Additonally, she funds numerous after-school youth programs including Youth for Education & Sports, Hawks International Youth Organization, the Caribbean American Sports & Youth Movement and many others. Councilmember Clarke has also founded the 40th District Council Youth Taskforce, which is a collection of local youth organizations that works with her office to educate local youth about entrepreneurship, gangs, teen domestic violence and HIV/AIDS education through forums at neighborhood schools and churches.

-----Not only has Councilmember Clarke delivered resources for her district, but she has been legislative force in the City Council. As former chair of the Fire & Criminal Justice Services Committee, she worked to ensure that the FDNY to become a more diverse agency by recruiting women and minorities. Additionally, she fought Mayor Bloomberg on the issue of closing firehouses and worked to insure that our city’s firefighters had the best equipment and radios in a post 9-11 world.

-----Councilmember Clarke has been a vocal advocate for the empowerment of women and people of color. She introduced legislation that resulted in the Council's historic Minority & Women-Owned Business Empowerment (MWBE) study that confirmed that women and minority-owned businesses are not awarded their fair share of city contracts and forced New York City to end its system of economic discrimination. As co-chair of the New York Council's Women's Caucus, she was directly responsible for securing $9.5 million in funding for 24 organizations that address the issues of domestic violence prevention, breast cancer awareness, housing advocacy and HIV/AIDS counseling for New York City women.

-----Councilmember Clarke has been directly responsible for some of the Council's recent innovative laws:

She was the author of the Energy Star law, which mandated that city landlords purchase Energy Star-certified appliances for rental apartments. These appliances will reduce enegy costs for many low-income New Yorkers.

She was the author of the Endangered Species Act, which prohibits the sale or purchase in New York City of products claiming to be or to contain an endangered or threatened species such as tiger bone, rhino horn bear bile, musk (derived from musk deer) and leopard bone.

She was the author of the Restroom Equity Act, which mandates that there be at least two women’s restroom facilities for every male facility in places of public assembly such as movie theaters, stadiums & arenas, dance & meeting halls and drinking place.

She has also co-sponsored dozens of new laws that insures full-time nurses in all schools; limits gun purchases and strengthens gun laws in New York City; raising fines on slumlords who fail to provide adequate heat or hot water; protects homeowners from predatory lenders; provided $400 tax rebates for homeowners; that the city maintain public reports on all childcare facilities; that provides emergency contraception options at all city hospitals, health clinics and pharmacies; that all companies doing business with the city must provide benefits for all employees domestic partners; protects consumers from pay-day loan schemes; created a citywide prescription drug discount program for seniors; and, suspended parking meters on Sundays.

She currently is proposing legislation that will mandate all prospective grooms, brides and domestic partners are provided with living will and healthcare proxy information when they appear before the City Clerk, in light of the recent Terry Schiavo case in Florida.

-----Councilmember Clarke has used her position in city government to speak out on national issues as well. She co-sponsored City Council resolutions that opposed the war in Iraq, criticized the federal Patriot Act and called for a national moratorium on the death penalty. She has been a frequent critic of the Bush administration's policies and believes that the current Republican Congress has negatively impacted her community with budget cuts to healthcare, education, economic development and housing programs.

-----Lastly, recognizing the tough times that this city had endured in the aftermath of September 11, 2001, Councilmember Clarke has worked in conjunction with various community organizations and local businesses to provide charitable outreach for Central Brooklyn's low-income families. Each year in office, she has sponsored a Christmas Party and a Summer Youth Festival for thousands of local children. Additionally, she has held Turkey Drives for needy families during Thanksgiving and has helped to collected donations for families devastated by natural disasters in the Caribbean.

-----Councilmember Clarke has dedicated her life to the empowerment and betterment of her community. She looks forward to continuing that fight in the future and following in the footsteps of her personal trailblazing sheroes- her mom, Dr. Una S.T~Clarke; abolitionist Harriet Tubman; and, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm.

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Endorsements

Hon. Betsy Gotbaum
NY Public Advocate

Hon. C. Virginia Fields
Manhattan Borough Pres.

Hon. Anthony Weiner
U.S. Congress

Hon. Donna Christian-Christensen
U.S. Representative for US Virgin Islands

Hon. Bill de Blasio
Councilmember, 39th CD

Hon. Kendall Stewart
Councilmember, 45th CD

Hon. Melissa Mark-Viverito
Councilmember, 8th CD

Hon. Annabel Palma
Councilmember, 18th CD

Hon. Rosie Mendez
Councilmember, 2nd CD

Hon. Helen Sears
Councilmember, 25th CD

Hon. John Liu
Councilmember, 20th CD

Hon. Melinda Katz
Councilmember, 29th CD

Hon. Helen Foster
Councilmember, 16th CD

Hon. Darlene Mealy
Councilmember, 41st CD

Hon. Alan Gerson
Councilmember, 1st CD

Hon. Miguel Martinez
Councilmember, 10th CD

Hon. James Sanders, Jr.
Councilmember, 31st CD

Hon. Phil Reed

Hon. Mayor Wayne Hall
Mayor Hempstead, LI

Hon. Nick Perry
Assemblymember, 58th AD

Hon. John Sampson
NY State Senator, 19th

Alan Fleishman
District Leader, 52nd AD

Rev. Dr. Paul Smith

Roberta Flack

Emily's List

Women Building for the Future PAC

National Women's Political Caucus

Women's Campaign Forum

Jim Owles Democratic Club

Stonewall Democratic Club

Caribbean American Leadership Summit

100 Clergy for Clarke

Progressive Democrat Political Association

Guyanese-American Workers United

Men and Women Against Domestic Violence

1199/SEIU

32BJ

District Council 9, Painters

Local 420, Hospital Wkrs, DC37 AFSCME

Mason Tenders District Council, LIUNA

United Food and Commerical Workers (UFCW), Local 1500

International Brotherhood of Teamsters (IBT), Joint Council 16

UNITE / HERE!

Hotel Trades Council (NYC)

HERE, Local 6 (Hotel Workers)

Carpenters, Local 926 (Brooklyn)