Yvonne Pearl Burke (née Watson, later Brathwaite; born October 5, 1932) is an American politician and lawyer from California. She was the first African-American woman to represent the West Coast in Congress. She served in the U.S. Congress from 1973-1979. She represented the 2nd District on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors from 1992–2008. She served as Chair of Los Angeles County four times (1993–94, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2007-08) and served as chair pro tem three times (1996–97, 2001–02, 2006–07). Her husband is William Burke, a prominent philanthropist and creator of the Los Angeles Marathon. In 1973, she became the first member of the U.S. Congress to give birth while in office, and she was the first person to be granted maternity leave by the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. She serves on the Board of Directors of Amtrak, having been appointed to the position by President Barack Obama in 2012. Early life and career Perle Yvonne Watson was born on October 5, 1932, in Los Angeles as the only child of James A. Watson and the former Lola Moore. After first attending a public school, she was sent to a model school for exceptional children. At Manual Arts High School she was a member of the debate team and served as vice president of the Latin Club her junior year and girls' vice president in her senior year. Burke attended the University of California, Berkeley from c. 1949 to 1951 before receiving a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1953. She subsequently earned a J.D. degree from the University of Southern California Law School in 1956. Burke is one of the first black women to be admitted to the University of Southern California Law School. Her first entry into the world of politics was when she worked as a volunteer for the reelection of President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1964. She was elected to the California State Assembly in 1966, representing Los Angeles' 63rd District (1966–1972). Many of her early legislative efforts centered around juvenile issues and limiting garnishment of wages. She served as vice-chairperson of the 1972 Democratic National Convention. She was the first African American and the first woman of color to hold that position, and presided for about fourteen hours when the chair left the convention on its last day. That same year, she was elected to