Yvette Clarke: Quotes and Statements
The statements below are paraphrased summaries of remarks Yvette Clarke has made in press releases, interviews, and public appearances. They are grouped by theme and attributed to the occasions on which they were delivered.
Clarke has said she feels honored to represent the central Brooklyn community that raised her, describing herself as the proud daughter of Jamaican immigrants who carries her Caribbean heritage into her congressional work. She frames her service as a continuation of the legacy of Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman and Caribbean American elected to Congress.
When she was elected CBC Chair in December 2024, Clarke thanked her colleagues and pledged to focus the caucus on voting rights, education, criminal justice reform, women's rights, healthcare equity, and economic equality. She described the caucus as needing to stand as the resistance to what she characterized as the extreme ideologies of Project 2025 and as the conscience of Congress advocating for the Black diaspora. She has also said the caucus must be more aggressive in supporting Hakeem Jeffries's leadership.
Days after President Trump's second inauguration, Clarke argued that the administration had promised to lower costs and spur economic growth but instead moved on its first day to dismantle diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In early 2026 she said that over the prior year there had been a concerted effort to roll back civil rights, dismantle social programs, and concentrate power among the wealthy at the expense of Black communities.
Introducing her deepfakes legislation, Clarke warned that misinformation and disinformation from domestic extremists and foreign actors pose a serious threat to democracy and national security, and that with few laws governing the technology the country stands at the edge of a new era of disinformation warfare aided by artificial intelligence. In a 2024 interview she described the current information ecosystem as a largely unregulated environment and said the speed and reach of deepfake technology make it capable of disrupting elections and the democratic process.
Responding to the federal move to take control of policing in Washington in 2025, Clarke characterized the decision as a power grab, noting that crime in the area was at a multi-decade low and describing the deployment of the National Guard as a way to target minority and Black communities.
After endorsing Zohran Mamdani for mayor, Clarke praised his primary victory as proof of the effectiveness of a people-powered campaign centered on lowering the cost of living, asking the wealthiest to pay a larger share, and securing equity across communities. Following an earlier joint meeting between Mamdani, Hakeem Jeffries, and Black clergy leaders, she told a local outlet that the exchange had been meaningful and that she had come to it with an open mind.