The 44 Percent: An ode to U.S. Rep. Carrie P. Meek
U.S. Rep. Carrie P. Meek was the epitome of Black Excellence.
The granddaughter of slaves, Meek ascended to heights that her ancestors could only dream of: a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Not only that, but she became the first Black Floridian elected to Congress since Reconstruction.
With Meek passing away Nov. 28, her family held a three-day celebration of life this week. Complete with presidential tributes, military salutes and a wealth of well-wishers, the festivities were truly fit for a queen. So, in a departure from the typical 44 Percent newsletter format, I wanted to dedicate this space to Meek and her legacy.
Carrie Meek, pioneering Miami congresswoman and champion of Black communities, dies at 95
When news of Meek’s death broke Nov. 28, Herald reporters Biancá Padró Ocasio and Jacqueline Charles responded with a quickness, penning a wonderful obituary about a woman who inspired a generation of Black and brown children to think bigger.
Meek’s tireless service and firebrand activism often revolved around the inequities she lived and witnessed as a Black woman growing up in a segregated Florida, and as an adult in predominately Black Liberty City during the 1980 riots that followed the acquittal of four white police officers in the killing of Arthur McDuffie, a Black insurance salesman.
Meek spoke out against the discrimination of Afro-Cubans by Cuba’s communist government, traveled to Ghana to celebrate the country’s independence and advocated for U.S. residence for Haitian immigrants, who made up a sizable portion of her north Miami-Dade district.
‘A community champion.’ U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek remembered by friends, colleagues
The next day, Padró followed up with an amazing tribute with perspectives from Dorothy Fields, the architect of Miami’s Black Archives, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Florida Sen. Shevrin Jones.
“There are few words that can do justice for the congresswoman’s lasting legacy on our South Florida communities, state, and country at large,” Jones said. “Now more than ever, we must each recommit to using our voices and power for good, just as the congresswoman did during her many years of dignified service.”
‘She’s home now’: 3-day celebration of late U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek’s life begins in Miami
Meek’s three-day celebration began Sunday, a week after her death, with a viewing at Booker T. Washington Senior High School. Attendees included Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, County Commissioner Kionne McGhee and his predecessor, Audrey Edmonson, as well as U.S. Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart and his brother, former Miami Congressman Lincoln Díaz-Balart.
As Kendrick Meek stood before the copper-colored casket carrying his mother, he felt a sense of peace. He had already shed a few tears. He hardly slept and had barely eaten. None of that mattered now, though, because Congresswoman Carrie Meek — the woman who birthed him and became the first Black lawmaker from Florida to serve in Congress since the post-Civil War Reconstruction — was in a better place after a long illness.
“She’s home now,” Kendrick said as a procession of well-wishers gathered outside Booker T. Washington Senior High School in Overtown.
‘Carrie pushed the doors open.’ Rep. Carrie Meek’s legacy remembered at funeral
The three-day celebration concluded Tuesday with Meek’s star-studded funeral. From video messages courtesy of former President Bill Clinton to Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s exhilarating eulogy, the event was an amazing send-off to a woman who was beloved both in Miami and beyond.
“Countless slaves tunneled to freedom because one woman led the way, the Civil Rights Movement was invigorated because one woman refused to move and the entire community prospered because one woman cared,” U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson told the audience, referring to Harriett Tubman, Rosa Parks and Meek.
Where does “The 44 Percent” name come from? Click here to find out how Miami history influenced the newsletter’s title.
