Former Florida Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek passed away at her home in Miami at the age of 95 over the weekend.
Meek, a Tallahassee native, is being remembered as a mentor, champion of human rights and a global icon.

Rep. Carrie Meek was a leader; a pioneer who blazed a trail for others to follow.

Her legacy as a champion for justice, equality, and better economic opportunities for all left an indelible mark on our state and our nation. https://t.co/fRIpQMISg9

— Val Demings (@valdemings) November 29, 2021

Meek was the daughter of sharecroppers and the grand daughter of slaves.
She grew up in Tallahassee when it was still segregated.
Meek became Florida’s first black female state senator, and in 1992 she became the state’s first black congressperson since Reconstruction.
She graduated from Florida A&M in 1946, and her name is on a building on campus.
She was also Miami-Dade College’s first black professor.
The founder of a Haitian neighborhood center says that Meek was one of the first champions of Haitian rights in the community.