Background and Early Life
Meek, the granddaughter of slaves and daughter of former sharecroppers, was born and raised in segregated Tallahassee, Florida. She graduated from Lincoln High School "Home of the Tigers." She remained in north Florida for college and graduated from Florida A&M University in 1946. At this time, African Americans could not attend graduate school in Florida, so Meek enrolled in the University of Michigan and received her M.S. degree in 1948. After graduation, Meek was hired as a teacher at Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach, Florida, and then at her alma mater, Florida A&M University. Meek moved to Miami in 1961 to serve as special assistant to the vice president of Miami-Dade Community College. The college was desegregated in 1963, largely due to Meek's integral role in the push for its integration. Throughout her years as an educator, Meek was also active in community projects in the Miami area.
Read more about this topic: Carrie P. Meek
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