Carrie Mae Meek (née Pittman; April 29, 1926November 28, 2021) was the United States representative for Florida's 17th congressional district. She was the first African American since the Reconstruction era elected to represent Florida in the United States Congress. 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.
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.
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.
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
thumb|upright|Representative Carrie Meek in the Florida House chamber in 1980, in this photograph, Meek is shown wearing a [[t-shirt that reads "A woman's place is in the House and the Senate"]]
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.
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.
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.
!|Year
!
!|Democrat
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
!|Republican
!|Votes
!|Pct
!
|-
|1992
|
| |
| align="right" |102,784
| |100%
|
| |(no candidate)
| align="right" |
| |
| |*
|-
|1994
|
| |Carrie P. Meek (incumbent)
| align="right" |75,756
| |100%
|
| |(no candidate)
| align="right" |
| |
| |*
|-
|1996
|
| |Carrie P. Meek (incumbent)
| align="right" |114,638
| |89%
|
| |
| align="right" |14,525
| |11%
| |*
|-
|1998
|
| |Carrie P. Meek (incumbent)
| align="right" |*
| |
|
| |(no candidate)
| align="right" |
| |
|
|-
|2000
|
| |Carrie P. Meek (incumbent)
| align="right" |100,715
| |100%
|
| |(no candidate)
| align="right" |
| |
| |*
|}
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 two votes. In 1998, the election was uncontested with no write-ins, so Meek's vote total was not recorded. In 2000, write-ins received three votes.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
References
External links
- US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives: