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Carrie Meek
Meek in 1993
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 17th district
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	William Lehman
Succeeded by	Kendrick Meek
Member of the Florida Senate from the 36th district
In office November 2, 1982 – November 3, 1992
Preceded by	Redistricted
Succeeded by	William H. Turner
Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 106th district
In office March 27, 1979 – November 2, 1982
Preceded by	Gwen Cherry
Succeeded by	Redistricted
Personal details
Born	Carrie Mae Pittman (1926-04-29)April 29, 1926 Tallahassee, Florida, U.S.
Died	November 28, 2021(2021-11-28) (aged 95) Miami, Florida, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Lucius Davis ​(div. 1963)​ Harold H. Meek ​(divorced)​
Children	3, including Kendrick Meek
Alma mater	Florida A&M College (BS) University of Michigan (MS)
Occupation	Educator legislator

Carrie Mae Meek (née Pittman; April 29, 1926 – November 28, 2021) was the United States representative for Florida's 17th congressional district, from 1993 to 2003. Having been elected in the September 1992 primary with no general election opponent, she was the first African American since the Reconstruction era elected to represent Florida in the United States Congress, where she advocated for the poor and for members of minority groups. An educator, legislator, stateswoman and a member of the Democratic Party, she served from 1979 to 1982 in the Florida House of Representatives, from 1982 to 1992 in the Florida Senate, and from 1993 to 2003, as a congresswoman in the United States House of Representatives. She was the founder of the Carrie Meek Foundation.

Early life and education

Carrie Mae Pittman was born on April 29, 1926, in Tallahassee, Florida, where she was raised, the youngest of 12 children of Willie and Carrie Pittman. She was the daughter of sharecroppers and granddaughter of a slave.

Meek was a graduate of Lincoln High School. She remained in north Florida for college and was graduated from Florida A&M University (a historically black university then known as Florida A&M College for Negroes) in 1946. Her degree was in physical education and biology, and she also lettered in track and field. At that time, African Americans were not allowed to be admitted to graduate schools in Florida, so Meek enrolled in the University of Michigan and received her master of science degree in 1948.

Academic career

After graduation from the University of Michigan, Meek was hired as a teacher at Bethune-Cookman College, another historically black college in Daytona Beach, Florida. Following that, she taught at her alma mater, Florida A&M University. Meek moved to Miami in 1961 to serve as special assistant to the vice president of Miami-Dade Community College. Largely due to Meek's integral role in the administration of the college during the push for its integration, the college was desegregated in 1963.

Throughout her years as an educator, Meek was also active in community projects in the Miami area.

Political career

Florida Legislature

When state representative Gwen Cherry, Florida's first woman African American legislator, died in a car crash in 1979, Meek decided to run in the special election to succeed her. She was elected to the Florida House as a Democrat. As a state representative, she introduced a bill criminalizing stalking. She served until 1982.

In 1982, Meek ran for a newly drawn state senate seat based in northern Dade County. She became the first African American woman elected to the Florida Senate. As a state senator, Meek served on the education appropriations subcommittee. Her efforts in the legislature led to the construction of thousands of affordable rental housing units.

U.S. House of Representatives

In 1992, a court-ordered congressional redistricting plan drew three districts with a substantial African American population that were designed to elect black candidates of choice to comply with the federal Voting Rights Act. Meek ran for one of those seats, the 17th district, which was based in northern Dade County. Along with Corrine Brown and Alcee Hastings, Meek became the first black member of Congress from Florida since Post-Civil War Reconstruction Era.

Upon taking office, Meek faced the task of helping her district recover from Hurricane Andrew's devastation. Her efforts as the only freshman Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee helped to provide $100 million in federal assistance to rebuild Dade County. Also while in the House, Meek successfully focused her attention on issues such as economic development, health care, education, and housing. She led legislation through Congress to improve Dade County's transit system, airport, and seaport; to construct a new family and childcare center in northern Dade County; and to fund advanced aviation training programs at Miami-Dade Community College. Meek emerged as a strong advocate for Haitian immigrants and senior citizens.

Meek believed that her district was undercounted in the 1990 Census and that the votes of her constituents were not represented correctly in the 2000 presidential election. Meek and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives objected to the 25 electoral votes from Florida that George W. Bush narrowly won after a contentious recount. Because no U.S. senator joined her objection, it had to be dismissed during the certification of the votes of the Electoral College by Vice President Al Gore while he was overseeing the recount that was his vice presidential role in the senate. Gore had been Bush's opponent in the race.

Meek never lost a race for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives. She announced that she would not seek re-election in the 2002 election, and retired from the House at the end of her term in January 2003. Her son, Kendrick Meek, ran for her vacated seat and succeeded her.

Personal life

Meek was married twice. Her husbands were Lucius Davis and Harold Meek. Both marriages ended in divorce. She had three children, two daughters, and a son, Kendrick Meek.

Renown for liberal opinions, folksy yet powerful oratory, and colorful Republican bashing, once while discussing why she was a Democrat, she said, "The last Republican that did something for me was Abraham Lincoln".

After her retirement from politics, she spent much of her time running the Carrie Meek Foundation, which she had founded in 2001 to provide resources and opportunities for those living in her Miami-Dade community. She stepped down for health reasons in 2015.

She died at her home in Miami on November 28, 2021, at the age of 95.

Awards and honors

The Carrie Meek – James N. Eaton, Sr. Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum in Tallahassee, Florida, on the campus of Florida A&M University, was co-named in Meek's honor.

She was a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, and an honorary member of Iota Phi Lambda sorority.

Meek was also awarded honorary degrees by a number of institutions, including Florida A&M University, University of Miami, Barry University, Florida Atlantic University, and Rollins College.

Electoral history

See also

• List of African-American United States representatives
• Women in the United States House of Representatives

References

1. "University of Michigan Official Publication". 51 (15–24). University of Michigan. 1949: 157. Retrieved November 30, 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
2. ^ Stout, David (November 28, 2021). "Carrie P. Meek, U.S. Lawmaker Who Made Racial History, Dies at 95". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
3. ^ Godown, Jan Florence (April 7, 1991). "A Few Moments With... Sen. Carrie Meek". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
4. ^ LeBlanc, Paul; Fortinsky, Sarah (November 28, 2021). "Carrie Meek, trailblazing Black former congresswoman, dies at 95". CNN. Archived from the original on November 29, 2021. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
5. ^ Booth, William (December 16, 1992). "The Strong Will of Carrie Meek". Washington Post. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
6. ^ Bade, Rachael, In Memoriam, Former Rep. Carrie Meek, Politico, November 29, 2021
7. Gaines-Carter, Patrice (February 14, 1979). "Gwen Cherry eulogized as a "deacon of hope"". The Miami News. palmbeachpost.newspapers.com. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
8. "Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry". Florida Women's Hall of Fame. Retrieved November 30, 2021. Gwendolyn Sawyer Cherry, The first African-American woman elected to the Florida Legislature, was also Dade County's first black female attorney. ... Cherry died in a Tallahassee car accident in 1979.
9. ^ "1979 Journal". Florida House of Representatives. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
10. ^ Langer, Emily (November 29, 2021). "Carrie P. Meek, pathbreaking Florida congresswoman, dies at 95". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
11. ^ Frisaro, Freida (November 28, 2021). "Carrie Meek, pioneering Black former congresswoman, dies". WJXT/Associated Press. Retrieved November 28, 2021.
12. ^ Padro Ocasio, Bianca; Charles, Jacqueline (November 29, 2021). "Carrie Meek, pioneering Miami congresswoman and champion of Black communities, dies at 95". Miami Herald. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
13. Electoral College Ballot Count (Video). Washington, D.C.: C-Span. January 6, 2001. Retrieved August 7, 2017.
14. "Black-American Familial Connections in Congress | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". history.house.gov. Retrieved November 30, 2021. Members Whose Children and Grandchildren Have Served in Congress ... Kendrick B. Meek of Florida, (2003–2011), son of Carrie P. Meek of Florida (1993–2003)
15. "B-CU series teaches students about show biz". Daytona Times. February 7, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
16. Frisaro, Freida, Carrie Meek, pioneering Black former congresswoman, dies, Associated Press (AP), November 28, 2021
17. "The Meek-Eaton Black Archives Founders | Those who laid the foundation for the Creation of the Meek-Eaton Black Archives". www.famu.edu. Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
18. "The Honorable Carrie P. Meek's Biography". The HistoryMakers. Retrieved November 29, 2021.
19. "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved July 25, 2012.

External links

• United States Congress. "Carrie Meek (id: M000628)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives: "MEEK, Carrie P." history.house.gov.
• Appearances on C-SPAN

v t e Members of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida
Territory Hernández Call White Downing Levy At-large Cabell Brockenbrough Cabell Maxwell Hawkins Hamilton Walls Niblack Purman and Walls (served concurrently) L'Engle Sears Green
1st district Purman Davidson Mallory Sparkman Drane Peterson McMullen Campbell Cramer Sikes Hutto Scarborough J. Miller Gaetz 2nd district Walls Finley Bisbee Finley Hull Bisbee Finley Bisbee Dougherty Bullock Cooper R. Davis Clark Green Price Bennett Fuqua Grant Peterson Boyd Southerland Graham Dunn 3rd district Lamar Mays E. Wilson Kehoe Smithwick Yon Caldwell Sikes Pepper Bennett Brown Yoho Cammack 4th district Sears Owen Wilcox Cannon Smathers Lantaff Fascell Herlong Chappell James Fowler Crenshaw Rutherford Bean 5th district Hendricks Herlong Gurney Frey Gunter Kelly McCollum Thurman Brown-Waite Nugent Brown Lawson Rutherford 6th district D. Rogers P. Rogers Gibbons Young MacKay Stearns DeSantis Waltz 7th district Haley Gibbons J. Mica S. Murphy Mills 8th district Matthews Cramer Young Haley Ireland Young McCollum Keller Grayson Webster Posey Haridopolos (elect) 9th district Fuqua P. Rogers Frey Nelson M. Bilirakis G. Bilirakis Grayson Soto 10th district Gibbons Burke Bafalis Ireland Young Webster Demings Frost 11th district Gurney Pepper P. Rogers D. Mica Nelson Bacchus Gibbons J. Davis Castor Nugent Webster 12th district Cramer Fascell Burke Stack Shaw Lewis Canady Putnam Ross Bilirakis 13th district Lehman Mack III Goss D. Miller Harris Buchanan Young Jolly Crist Luna 14th district Pepper D. Mica Johnston Goss Mack IV Castor 15th district Fascell Shaw Bacchus Weldon Posey Ross Spano Franklin Lee 16th district Smith Lewis Foley Mahoney T. Rooney Buchanan 17th district Lehman C. Meek K. Meek Wilson T. Rooney Steube 18th district Pepper Ros-Lehtinen P. Murphy Mast Franklin 19th district Fascell Johnston Wexler Deutch Radel Clawson F. Rooney Donalds 20th district Deutsch Wasserman Schultz Hastings Cherfilus-McCormick 21st district L. Díaz-Balart M. Díaz-Balart Deutch Frankel Mast 22nd district Shaw Klein West Frankel Deutch Frankel 23rd district Hastings Wasserman Schultz Moskowitz 24th district Feeney Kosmas Adams F. Wilson 25th district M. Díaz-Balart Rivera M. Díaz-Balart Wasserman Schultz 26th district Garcia Curbelo Mucarsel-Powell Giménez M. Díaz-Balart 27th district Ros-Lehtinen Shalala Salazar 28th district Giménez

• 1926 births
• 2021 deaths
• 20th-century African-American educators
• 21st-century African-American politicians
• 21st-century American women politicians
• African-American members of the United States House of Representatives
• African-American state legislators in Florida
• 21st-century African-American women politicians
• 20th-century African-American women politicians
• 20th-century African-American politicians
• 20th-century American women politicians
• Delta Sigma Theta members
• Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Florida
• Female members of the United States House of Representatives
• Florida A&M University alumni
• Democratic Party Florida state senators
• Democratic Party members of the Florida House of Representatives
• People from Tallahassee, Florida
• University of Michigan alumni
• Women state legislators in Florida
• 20th-century American women educators
• 20th-century American educators
• 21st-century American women educators
• 21st-century American educators
• Florida A&M University faculty
• Bethune–Cookman University people
• Miami Dade College
• Members of Congress who became lobbyists
• 21st-century Florida politicians
• 21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives
• 20th-century members of the Florida Legislature