Carrie P. Meek

Carrie Meek
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
In office 1983–1993
Member of the Florida House of Representatives
In office 1979–1983
Personal details
Born	Carrie Pittman April 29, 1926 Tallahassee, Florida
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Harold H. Meek
Children	Kendrick Meek
Alma mater	Florida A&M College University of Michigan
Occupation	Teacher

Carrie P. Meek (née Pittman;^[1] born April 29, 1926) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. She served in the United States House of Representatives from 1993 to 2003, representing Florida's 17th congressional district.

Background and early life

Meek, the granddaughter of slaves and daughter of former sharecroppers, was born and raised in segregated Tallahassee, Florida. She graduated from Lincoln High School. She remained in north Florida for college and graduated from Florida A&M University (then known as Florida A&M College for Negroes) in 1946. At this time, African Americans could not attend graduate school in Florida, so Meek enrolled in the University of Michigan and received her M.S. degree in 1948. After graduation, Meek was hired as a teacher at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then 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. The college was desegregated in 1963, largely due to Meek's integral role in the push for its integration. Throughout her years as an educator, Meek was also active in community projects in the Miami area.

Political career

Meek was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1978 as a Democrat, serving until 1983. As a state representative, she introduced a bill criminalizing stalking. In 1982, she was the first African American woman elected to the Florida State Senate. As a State Senator, Meek served on the Education Appropriations Subcommittee. Her efforts in the Legislature also led to the construction of thousands of affordable rental housing units.

Meek was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, after fourteen years in the Florida Legislature. This made her the first black lawmaker elected to represent Florida in Congress since Reconstruction. Upon taking office, Meek faced the task of helping her district recover from Hurricane Andrew's devastation. Her efforts helped to provide $100 million in federal assistance to rebuild Miami-Dade County (then known as 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 Miami-Dade County's transit system, airport and seaport; construct a new family and childcare center in North Dade County; and fund advanced aviation training programs at Miami-Dade Community College. Meek emerged as a strong advocate for Haitian immigrants and senior citizens.

Meek claimed that her district — Florida's 17th Congressional district — was undercounted in the 1990 Census. She believed that her constituents were cheated in the 2000 Presidential Election. Meek refused to attend a meeting with President George W. Bush in February 2001. She retired from the House at the end of her term in 2003, and was succeeded by her son, Kendrick Meek.

Honors and awards

Meek has received numerous awards and honors. She is the recipient of honorary doctor of laws degrees from the University of Miami, Florida A&M University, Barry University, Florida Atlantic University and Rollins College. Meek was a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, in addition to serving on the Subcommittee on Treasury, Postal Service and General Government and the Subcommittee on VA, HUD, and Independent Agencies. The Carrie Meek - James N. Eaton, Sr. Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum located in Tallahassee, Florida on Florida A&M University's campus was co-named in her honor. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. In 2001, she was interviewed by The HistoryMakers.

Electoral history

Florida's 17th congressional district: Results 1992–2000^[2]

Year		Democrat	Votes	Pct		Republican	Votes	Pct
1992		Carrie P. Meek	102,784	100%		(no candidate)			*
1994		Carrie P. Meek	75,756	100%		(no candidate)			*
1996		Carrie P. Meek	114,638	89%		Wellington Rolle	14,525	11%	*
1998		Carrie P. Meek	*			(no candidate)
2000		Carrie P. Meek	100,715	100%		(no candidate)			*

Write-in and minor candidate notes: In 1992, write-ins received 15 votes. In 1994, write-ins received 11 votes. In 1996, write-ins received 2 votes. In 1998, the election was uncontested with no write-ins, so Meek's vote total was not recorded. In 2000, write-ins received 3 votes.

References

1. Kendrick Brett Meek, RootsWeb, Ancestry.com
2. "Election Statistics". Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives. Retrieved July 25, 2012.

External links

• United States Congress. "Carrie P. Meek (id: M000628)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.