Join DL21C'ers Wednesday night for a conversation with Congresswoman Clarke, who will discuss her work on immigration and gun control - two controversial national issues that have very local implications for Clarke's district and for New York City - as well as the challenges of working in the new Republican-controlled Congress.
It's been just over one month since the tragedy in Arizona, which re-opened the gun law debate. Despite the calls for reform, the likelihood of federal legislation passing - even on background checks or an assault weapons ban - remains doubtful. Comprehensive immigration reform is also stalled in Congress - a cause that the Congresswoman has championed, as she represents one of the most diverse Congressional districts in the nation. Congresswoman Clarke will speak about the challenges of working legislation through the new Congress, her personal friendship with Congresswoman Giffords, and much more.
This is the first of several domestic policy conversations DL21C will host with elected officials and leading opinionmakers.
See you Wednesday night!
Free for members; $5/non-members
Annual Membership is only $50 and gets you into all DL21C events for a full year...to purchase your membership visit www.dl21c.org.
For more information about this event or about DL21C, email us at contact-dl21c@dl21c.org.
About Congresswoman Clarke:
United States Representative Yvette D. Clarke is a Brooklyn native whose roots are firmly planted in her Jamaican heritage.
Rep. Clarke was first elected to Congress in November 2006 and represents the 11th Congressional District which includes the communities of Brownsville, Crown Heights, East Flatbush, Flatbush, Windsor Terrace, Borough Park, Sunset Park, Carroll Gardens, Kensington, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect-Lefferts Gardens and Prospect Park.
Prior to being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Clarke served on the New York City Council representing the 40th District in Brooklyn. She succeeded her pioneering mother, former City Council Member Una S. T. Clarke, making them the first mother-daughter succession in the history of the Council.
As the Congressional Representative of the 11th district, she is committed to continuing the district's legacy of excellence as set forth by the late Honorable Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman and Caribbean American elected to Congress. She currently sits on the House Committee on Homeland Security and House Committee on Small Business. In the 111th Congress, Rep. Clarke sat on several committees including the House Education and Labor Committee, the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Small Business Committee.
Just two years in office, Rep. Clarke was appointed Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity and Science and Technology for the 111th Congress. Under her leadership, this Committee will exercise its oversight jurisdiction on a variety of issues, including cybersecurity, biodefense, pandemic influenza preparedness, nuclear detection, mitigating radiological attacks, agro-terrorism, and research and development within the Department of Homeland Security.
Known in the community for speaking truth to power, she is often called the “authentic voice of Brooklyn.” Rep. Clarke also plans on using this voice to make the needs of her community a priority within the 112th Congress as the newly appointed Secretary for the Congressional Black Caucus and the Senior Whip for the Democratic Caucus. The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Inc., (CBCF) also recently welcomed Rep. Yvette D. Clarke of New York to its Board of Directors.
An unwavering champion for her native Brooklyn, she has worked with non-profit organizations, local community groups and appropriators to secure millions of dollars in essential federal support for the district. As a result, major institutions received funds, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, the Brooklyn Public Library, the Brooklyn Children’s Museum, the Prospect Park Alliance and the New York State Department of Transportation (DOT).
As a testament to what Representative Clarke has accomplished in her first term, she received an “A” rating from the Drum Major Institute, TheMiddleClass.org, and 100% ratings by Peace Action, The Brady Campaign and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She was also named After-School Hero by The After-School Corporation for her work on the House Education and Labor Committee. In May 2009, Rep. Clarke was also presented with an honorary Doctorate Law Degree from St. Francis College.
Rep. Clarke currently resides in the neighborhood where she grew up, in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Rep. Clarke graduated from Oberlin College and is a product of the New York City Public School System.