Carrie Meek, a trailblazing Black former congresswoman from Florida, died Sunday

Former U.S. Congresswoman Carrie Pittman Meek, the first Black person to represent Florida in Congress since the post-Civil War Reconstruction, died Sunday at her home in Miami after a long illness, the family said. She was 95.

Carrie Meek, the grandchild of a slave and a sharecropper’s daughter who became one of the first Black Floridians elected to Congress since Reconstruction, died Sunday. She was 95.

A wake for former U.S. Rep. Carrie Meek, who passed away Sunday after a long illness, will take place at Miami-Dade College’s North Campus on Wednesday, relatives told the Miami Herald. The time is not yet confirmed.

What people are saying?

US Rep. Al Lawson Jr We lost a champion with the passing of former Congresswoman Carrie Meek. She was a respected leader in Florida & an icon in our nation’s politics. She will be remembered for her decades of service, her ability to light up a room & her compassion for others.

René García I’m deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Congresswoman Carrie Meek, a respected leader, political pioneer, & staunch advocate for the community she served. Sending my sincerest condolences to the entire Meek family as they navigate this difficult loss. May she Rest In Peace.