Carrie Meek, the grandchild of a slave and the daughter of a sharecropper, died on Sunday, November 28, 2021. She was one of the first Black Floridians elected to Congress since Reconstruction. She was 95 years old.
After experiencing the challenges of being a poor, Black woman in Florida, she made an effort throughout her life to make a difference for individuals who looked like her. Carrie Meek’s legacy will carry on and be remembered.
When she won the Democratic Congressional Primary in her Miami-Dade County District in 1992, she began her life-long work to bring about positive change in her community at the age of 66.
She made history when she became the first African-American woman to serve in the Florida Senate in 1983. Prior to that historic position, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1978.
Affirmative action, economic opportunities for the poor, and efforts to improve democracy and ease immigration restrictions in Haiti, were all priorities for her. During her tenure, she ensured that the community she served provided the necessary assistance to local residents, such as educational opportunities and shelter.
“Congresswoman Carrie Meeks was an icon in the black community. She was an educator, a mother, and a leader for all of us to emulate. She fought for the people of Miami to have better healthcare, homes, jobs, and education. I am thankful for her as she strived for our rights as human beings,” said Miami Lakes Educational Center’s Secretary Sherline Cox.
She paved the way for African Americans to start businesses and created affordable rental housing units through legislation she championed. She also had a significant impact on the immigration population by advocating for US residency for Haitian immigrants and speaking out against Afro-Cuban discrimination. Her efforts also aided in the distribution of federal aid following Hurricane Andrew’s devastation of South Florida in 1992.
Meek established the Carrie Meek Foundation after retiring to help her community. Her organization was dedicated to providing employment and opportunities to the people of South Florida. She was a role model for the black community.
Florida Congresswoman Frederica Wilson tweeted: “Wake the town and tell people we have lost a giant. A resilient and courageous woman. A trailblazing champion, for the lost and left out, who reached beyond party lines because she simply wanted to help people and make a difference. God bless Carrie Pittman Meek.”
Her colleagues remember her as a lifetime educator and mentor for young people in her district, as well as a social justice activist in Congress. The Carrie P. Meek Foundation, situated in Miami-Dade County, continues to fund social initiatives.
Meek’s funeral and homegoing celebration were held today at the Miami Gardens Campus of the Antioch Missionary Baptist Church.
Although the trailblazing pioneer was laid to rest, her contributions to Miami-Dade County will live on.
