Carrie Meek worked as a state and federal civil servant for 24 years before she died.
One of the first Black lawmakers to represent Florida in Congress since Reconstruction was the granddaughter of an enslaved woman, and her parents were sharecroppers, according to her House of Representatives biography.
While in college, he earned a bachelor's degree in biology and physical education from Florida A&M University. She was forced to enroll at a school outside of state to get her master's degree because Florida banned Black students from attending state graduate schools.
After 30 years of teaching, she was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 1978 and held the seat for four years. She was the first African-American woman to serve in the senate and the first Black woman to serve in the legislature.
She has a life experience that is wrapped up in her skin, gender, and struggle to get the kind of education that allowed her to be an outstanding teacher and leader. "My mother is the most important person in my life," said her youngest son, Kendrick. It made her a better policymaker.
William Lehman retired in 1992 and paved the way for the first Congressional campaign of James Meek. She served five terms on Capitol Hill.
He held the seat in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2011.
