Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

Angela Brown-Burke. - Rudolph Brown/Chief Photographer

While a student at Wolmer's School for Girls in the 1970s, Angella Brown-Burke actively advocated for student's rights.

She involved herself in groups such as the debating club, the girls brigade and several other school clubs.

Mrs. Brown-Burke was on September 23 selected as one of the four People's National Party (PNP) vice-presidents (VPs), making her the third female VP of the party.

Madame Rose Leon was the first lady of politics and VP of the PNP. Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller was the second female VP of the ruling party.

Dubbed a politician from a young age, Mrs. Brown-Burke says her political ambitions are an outgrowth of her love for community service.

This love, she said, began in her early days on Oxford Street in West Kingston, before she moved to the coastal town of Yallahs, St. Thomas, at age 16, where she later served as secretary of the Yallahs Community Council.

ALWAYS WORKING IN GROUPS

"I've always found myself working in groups in terms of the advocacy of the group, taking charge of all the things that affect us," She told The Sunday Gleaner.

Mrs. Brown-Burke is currently the councillor for the Norman Gardens Division in St. Andrew and serves as the minority caucus leader of the Kingston and St. Andrew Corporation (KSAC).

Early political work, Mrs Brown-Burke said, began in the east Kingston communities.

However, her political career kicked off in 1985 when she returned from Cuba after studying languages on a party scholarship. Her major was translating and interpreting Spanish and French.

While she was in Cuba, her love for politics led her to establish the Organisation of Jamaican students in Cuba and she was an active member of the PNP Youth Organisation (PNPYO) of Cuba.

Her love story with husband Paul began in the Spanish-speaking country in 1983.

Responding to statements that her political ambitions were influenced by her husband, Mrs. Brown-Burke said that he by no means influenced her career choice.

"My involvement in politics was way before I met Paul. I was involved in the PNPYO in St. Thomas before going to Cuba, which is where I met Paul," she said.

"If we were not together, I would have been more involved in Region Two, which is St. Thomas. This is where I would have been, but certainly Paul has not taken me into politics at all," she continued.

This was echoed by her stalwart politician husband Paul Burke. "She speaks for herself. she is not defined by her marriage to me," he stressed, however, that he was happy for his wife's victory.

VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION

"She has a valuable contribution to make," he said.

When asked about the challenges women face attempting to enter politics, the easy-going Mrs. Brown-Burke said that she has always enjoyed a challenge.

She indicated that going forward, her focus will be to develop a deliberative culture to give persons space to talk things through freely.

"I would love to create a genuine space where persons feel as if they can express themselves comfortably and where they really feel they can make a difference in terms of the party of which they are a part," she said.

Additionally, she stated that her emphasis will also be on local government, training and development of the citizens of the country.