Carrie Meek | |
|---|---|
 Meek in 1993 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's17th district | |
| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2003 | |
| Preceded by | William Lehman |
| Succeeded by | Kendrick Meek |
| Member of theFlorida Senate from the 36th district | |
| In office November 2, 1982 – November 3, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | William H. Turner |
| Member of theFlorida 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 |
|
| Children | 3, includingKendrick Meek |
| Alma mater | (MS) |
| Occupation |
|
Carrie Mae Meek (néePittman; April 29, 1926 – November 28, 2021) was theUnited States representative forFlorida's 17th congressional district, from 1993 to 2003. Having been elected in the September 1992 primary with no general election opponent, she was the firstAfrican American since theReconstruction era elected to represent Florida in theUnited States Congress, where she advocated forthe poor and for members ofminority groups. An educator, legislator, stateswoman and a member of theDemocratic Party, she served from 1979 to 1982 in theFlorida House of Representatives, from 1982 to 1992 in theFlorida Senate, and from 1993 to 2003, as a congresswoman in theUnited States House of Representatives. She was the founder of the Carrie Meek Foundation.
Carrie Mae Pittman[1] was born on April 29, 1926, inTallahassee, Florida,[2] where she was raised, the youngest of 12 children of Willie and Carrie Pittman.[3] She was the daughter ofsharecroppers and granddaughter of a slave.[4]
Meek was a graduate ofLincoln High School. She remained in north Florida for college and was graduated fromFlorida A&M University (ahistorically black university then known as Florida A&M College for Negroes) in 1946. Her degree was in physical education and biology, and she alsolettered in track and field.[3] At that time, African Americans were not allowed to be admitted to graduate schools in Florida, so Meek enrolled in theUniversity of Michigan and received her master of science degree in 1948.[2]
After graduation from the University of Michigan, Meek was hired as a teacher atBethune-Cookman College, another historically black college inDaytona Beach, Florida. Following that, she taught at heralma mater, Florida A&M University.[2] Meek moved toMiami in 1961 to serve as special assistant to the vice president ofMiami-Dade Community College.[2] 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.[5]
Throughout her years as an educator, Meek was also active in community projects in the Miami area.[6]
When state representativeGwen Cherry, Florida's first woman African American legislator, died in a car crash in 1979,[7][8] Meek decided to run in the special election to succeed her. She was elected to theFlorida House as a Democrat.[9] As a state representative, she introduced a bill criminalizingstalking.[2] She served until 1982.[9]
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 theFlorida Senate.[3][10] 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.[5]
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 federalVoting Rights Act. Meek ran for one of those seats, the17th district, which was based in northern Dade County. Along withCorrine Brown andAlcee Hastings, Meek became the first black member of Congress from Florida sincePost-Civil War Reconstruction Era.[11]
Upon taking office, Meek faced the task of helping her district recover fromHurricane Andrew's devastation. Her efforts as the only freshman Democrat on theHouse Appropriations Committee helped to provide $100 million in federal assistance to rebuild Dade County.[12][10] 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 forHaitian immigrants and senior citizens.[6]
Meek believed that her district was undercounted in the 1990Census and that the votes of her constituents were not represented correctly in the2000 presidential election.[10] Meek and other members of the U.S. House of Representatives objected to the 25 electoral votes fromFlorida thatGeorge W. Bush narrowly won after a contentiousrecount. 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 PresidentAl 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.[13]
Meek never lost a race for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.[12] She announced that she would not seek re-election in the2002 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.[11][10][14]
.jpg)
Meek was married twice. Her husbands were Lucius Davis and Harold Meek. Both marriages ended in divorce.[3][15] She had three children, two daughters, and a son,Kendrick Meek.[12]
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".[16]
After her retirement from politics, she spent much of her time running theCarrie 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.[12]
She died at her home inMiami on November 28, 2021, at the age of 95.[4][11][10]
The Carrie Meek – James N. Eaton, Sr. Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum in Tallahassee, Florida, on the campus ofFlorida A&M University, was co-named in Meek's honor.[17]
She was a member ofDelta Sigma Theta sorority, and an honorary member ofIota Phi Lambda sorority.[18]
Meek was also awarded honorary degrees by a number of institutions, including Florida A&M University,University of Miami,Barry University,Florida Atlantic University, andRollins College.[12]
| Year | Democrat | Votes | Pct | Republican | Votes | Pct | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Carrie P. Meek | 102,784 | 100% | (no candidate) | * | ||||
| 1994 | Carrie P. Meek(incumbent) | 75,756 | 100% | (no candidate) | * | ||||
| 1996 | Carrie P. Meek(incumbent) | 114,638 | 89% | Wellington Rolle | 14,525 | 11% | * | ||
| 1998 | Carrie P. Meek(incumbent) | * | (no candidate) | ||||||
| 2000 | Carrie P. Meek(incumbent) | 100,715 | 100% | (no candidate) | * |
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)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.
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)
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromFlorida's 17th congressional district 1993–2003 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
