[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 834 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. RES. 834

 Honoring the life and legacy of Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek and 
     commending her for her devotion to the Nation and its ideals.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 2, 2021

 Ms. Wilson of Florida (for herself, Ms. Wasserman Schultz, Mr. Lawson 
of Florida, Mrs. Demings, Ms. Castor of Florida, Mr. Crist, Mr. Deutch, 
  Ms. Lois Frankel of Florida, Mrs. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Soto, Mr. 
   Clyburn, Mrs. Beatty, Mr. David Scott of Georgia, Ms. Waters, Mr. 
Meeks, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Mr. Thompson of Mississippi, Ms. DeLauro, 
 Mr. McGovern, Mr. Jeffries, Ms. Sewell, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. 
 Williams of Georgia, Mr. Carson, Mr. Danny K. Davis of Illinois, Ms. 
Moore of Wisconsin, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Ryan, Mrs. Carolyn B. Maloney of 
   New York, Mr. Bowman, Ms. Clarke of New York, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. 
Adams, Ms. McCollum, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Ms. 
Jackson Lee, Mr. Cleaver, Mr. Payne, Mr. Evans, Ms. Lee of California, 
 Mr. Rush, and Ms. Brown of Ohio) submitted the following resolution; 
      which was referred to the Committee on House Administration

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
 Honoring the life and legacy of Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek and 
     commending her for her devotion to the Nation and its ideals.

Whereas Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek was a trailblazing advocate for equal 
        rights, a loving mother and grandmother, a loyal friend and confidante, 
        and a committed public servant to the people of the 17th congressional 
        district of Florida;
Whereas Ms. Meek earned a bachelor's degree in biology and physical education 
        from Florida A&M University while setting records as a track and field 
        athlete;
Whereas, due to a ban in Florida that prevented Black students from attending 
        State graduate schools, Ms. Meek enrolled at the University of Michigan, 
        where she earned a master's degree in public health and physical 
        education;
Whereas Ms. Meek, granddaughter of a woman who had been born enslaved, broke a 
        plethora of gender and racial barriers, serving as Bethune Cookman 
        University's first female basketball coach and the first African 
        American woman elected to the Florida State Senate in 1983;
Whereas Ms. Meek, while serving in the Florida State Legislature, passed a 
        minority business enterprise law and other measures to promote economic 
        growth, literacy, and school retention rates;
Whereas Ms. Meek was a skilled legislator who was once called ``the conscience 
        of the Florida Senate'' and served as a role model for other elected 
        officials and broke down barriers so that they could successfully follow 
        the trailblazing path she paved;
Whereas Ms. Meek was one of the first African Americans from Florida since 
        Reconstruction to be elected to Congress, where she fought tirelessly to 
        improve the lives of the constituents she served;
Whereas Ms. Meek as a freshman in Congress intensely lobbied for a seat on the 
        powerful Appropriations Committee, as her community needed her at the 
        table in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, and with her charm and drive Ms. 
        Meek was able to convince Speaker Thomas S. Foley of Washington to put 
        her on the Appropriations Committee, where she worked to secure 
        $100,000,000 in aid to help rebuild Dade County following Hurricane 
        Andrew;
Whereas, during her time in Congress, Ms. Meek earned a well-deserved reputation 
        as a national treasure who devoted her life to Black communities in 
        Florida and communities of color around the world;
Whereas, despite her soft southern cadence and grandmotherly demeanor, the 
        revered civil rights icon Congressman John Lewis of Georgia once said of 
        Ms. Meek, ``We see showboats and we see tugboats. She's a tugboat. I 
        never want to be on the side of issues against her.'';
Whereas Ms. Meek later retired from public office in 2002 and with her legacy as 
        a fighter who broke down countless barriers, she paved the way for her 
        son Kendrick B. Meek of Florida and later Frederica S. Wilson of 
        Florida, who succeeded her in Congress and continued her legacy as a 
        voice for the voiceless;
Whereas Ms. Meek founded the Carrie Meek Foundation, which provides the Miami-
        Dade community with critical resources, opportunities, and jobs;
Whereas Ms. Meek was awarded honorary Juris Doctor degrees from the University 
        of Miami, Florida A&M, Barry University, Florida Atlanta University, and 
        Rollins College;
Whereas Ms. Meek was inducted into the Florida A&M University Sports Hall of 
        Fame and honored with the conaming of its James N. Eaton, Sr., 
        Southeastern Regional Black Archives Research Center and Museum in 
        Tallahassee, Florida;
Whereas Ms. Meek was honored with the renaming of Broward County's Nova 
        Southeastern College's Outstanding Education Leadership Achievement 
        Scholarship and Miami, Florida's Northwest 27th Boulevard; and
Whereas Congresswoman Meek passed away on November 28, 2021, and it is fitting 
        that the House of Representatives recognize her for her exemplary career 
        and contributions to public service, the people of Florida, and the 
        American people: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) honors the life and legacy of Congresswoman Carrie 
        Meek;
            (2) extends its condolences to her children and family; and
            (3) commends her for her devotion to the Nation and its 
        ideals.
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