Congresswoman Yvette Clarke of New York’s Ninth Congressional District stands at the helm of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during one of the most politically charged periods in modern American history, serving as a brave voice standing up for civil rights, justice and equity for all.
“Make no mistake: in this volatile political landscape, the CBC must stand as the resistance to the extremist ideologies of Project 2025 as the conscience of Congress to advocate and advance the Black diaspora,” Clarke said in a statement when she was first elected chair in December 2024, before issuing a call to action.
A senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a lifelong Brooklyn resident, Clarke is the daughter of Jamaican immigrants and a steadfast advocate for the communities that shaped her.
Since first arriving in Congress in 2007, she has made it her mission to continue the legacy of trailblazers like the late New York Rep. Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman and Caribbean American elected to Congress.
“In my capacity as chair, I will ensure that our Caucus’ goals are accomplished by focusing on voting rights, education, criminal justice reform, women’s rights, health care equity, and economic equality,” she emphasized. “I am committed to working with my colleagues to call out this extremist agenda and [will] fight like hell for a pathway forward.”
Leadership Rooted in Intersectionality
Clarke’s leadership draws on her identity as a Black woman and Caribbean American, experiences that have shaped her work to champion women, children, and immigrants.
She co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls and is recognized for taking on systemic inequities through a legislative agenda that centers the most marginalized.
Her tenure as CBC Chair comes at a time when diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives face unprecedented rollback under the second Trump administration.
“President Trump promised to work to lower costs and spur economic growth for all American communities,” Clarke said, days after Trump’s inauguration, in a January 2025 statement. “Instead of working to create economic opportunities that will allow Americans to get ahead, build generational wealth, and achieve the American dream, President Trump on day one of his administration signed an executive order to systematically dismantle all diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives within the federal government.”
Legislative Priorities and Advocacy
In the 118th Congress, Clarke introduced measures such as the Menopause Research Equity Act, the Stephanie Tubbs Jones Uterine Fibroid and Education Act, and the Uterine Cancer Study Act, all aimed at advancing women’s health.
She has also led on tech policy, authoring the DEEPFAKES Accountability Act to combat malicious AI-generated content.
Her infrastructure vision includes the Smart Cities and Communities Act, which promotes technology-driven urban development while bridging the digital divide.
Clarke has also forged bipartisan partnerships, including co-leading the Doctors in Our Borders Act to address physician shortages by allowing more U.S.-trained foreign doctors to remain and serve in underserved areas.
“Congesswoman Yvette Clarke was inspired to serve by her mom’s example and lessons on the necessity of women’s voices in shaping communities,” Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said in a March 2022 Women’s History post on X, formerly known as Twitter. “She delivers on health, education, housing and jobs for [New York’s ninth Congressional District] and fights for at-risk immigrants.”
Defending Democracy and Challenging Authoritarianism
Clarke has been one of the most forceful critics of the Trump administration’s law enforcement overreach. She condemned the takeover of the D.C. Metropolitan Police and deployment of the National Guard as a “blatantly racist and despicable power grab” and warned that it could be a “test run for broader authoritarian overreach.”
In response to Trump sending Marines to Los Angeles to confront protests, she called the move an “authoritarian escalation unlike any before in American history.”
She said Trump’s actions rose to the level of impeachable offenses.
Speaking on behalf of the CBC, the New York congresswoman also spoke out against the Trump administration’s decision to take over D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
“President Trump does not care about keeping Washington, D.C., or any of our communities safe,” Clarke and the CBC noted in an August statement. “Taking over local control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police and deploying the National Guard under the guise of public safety puts residents in danger. This unprecedented attack on D.C. home rule is a blatantly racist and despicable power grab, and it won’t stop in Washington, D.C.”
Humanitarian Leadership, Caribbean, Immigrant Advocacy
A co-chair of the Congressional Caribbean Caucus and a daughter of Jamaican immigrants, Clarke has consistently championed all people of the Caribbean diaspora and particularly the Haitian community.
In July 2025, she welcomed the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York’s decision to extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian nationals until February 2026. Clarke called the ruling a lifeline for Haitians facing political, economic, and humanitarian crises, while urging the administration to push for permanent protections and long-term stability for Haiti.
“Since the announcement that TPS would end in September for hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrants, my colleagues and I have relentlessly urged the Trump administration to extend protections for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Rep. Clarke. “Haitian-Americans have contributed immensely to our communities and our economy for decades… We must continue to encourage this administration to do everything in its power to save lives and bring stability to Haiti and security to its people. And that begins with extending Temporary Protected Status for those who need it most.”
The New York congresswoman also unapologetically fights for immigrants.
In 2021, Clarke told colleagues she welcomed more immigrants into her district “just for redistricting purposes.”
CBC Legacy and Forward Strategy
Clarke is the ninth woman to lead the CBC, joining a line of Black women chairs who have steered the caucus during politically volatile periods.
She has pledged to focus on protecting civil rights, expanding economic opportunity, and defending democracy itself.
From her Jamaican and Brooklyn roots to her leadership on Capitol Hill, Clarke’s political career is defined by unwavering advocacy for justice, equity, and the empowerment of marginalized voices — work she now leads on a national stage during a defining moment for the country.“Rep. Yvette Clarke, a close friend of mine, has shown tremendous leadership this year as chair of the CBC. She has worked to embrace the African diaspora within the Black identity,” Rep. Oye Owolewa, the District’s shadow representative in Congress, told The Washington Informer. “As a Nigerian American child of immigrants, I believe that bridge between continents is important in solving today’s issues involving income inequality, achievement gaps and systemic racism.”