Carrie P. Meek

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Carrie Meek
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 17th district
In office 1993–2003
Preceded by	William Lehman
Succeeded by	Kendrick Meek
Born	April 29, 1926 (1926-04-29) (age 83) Tallahassee, Florida
Political party	Democratic

Carrie P. Meek (born April 29, 1926) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida.

[edit] Background and Early Life

Meek, the granddaughter of slaves and daughter of former sharecroppers, was born and raised in segregated Tallahassee, Florida. She remained in north Florida for college and graduated from Florida A&M University 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.

[edit] 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 female 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.^{[citation needed]}

Meek was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, after fourteen years of service in Florida's legislatures. 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 has also emerged as a strong advocate for senior citizens and Haiti immigrants.

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

[edit] 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 University. 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. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., a service sorority founded by African-American women. In 2001, she was interviewed by The HistoryMakers.

[edit] Electoral history

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Carrie P. Meek at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress