德斯蒙德-米德 民权活动家｜

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Desmond Meade
Civil Rights Activist | Class of 2021
Working to restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens and remove barriers to their full participation in civic life.


Portrait of Desmond Meade

Title
Civil Rights Activist
Affiliation
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Location
Orlando, Florida
Age
54 at time of award
Area of Focus
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Criminal Justice
Website
desmondmeade.com
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Social
Twitter
Twitter: Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Published September 28, 2021
ABOUT DESMOND'S WORK
Desmond Meade is a civil rights activist working to change disenfranchisement laws and other barriers preventing formerly incarcerated citizens from fully participating in civic life. Formerly incarcerated people face restrictions in housing, education, and financial assistance, and in some states their access to basic democratic liberties such as the right to vote, hold public office, and obtain professional licenses is also curtailed. As executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC) and a returning citizen himself, Meade understands firsthand the stigma people with prior convictions face and the perception that they are unfit for involvement in democratic governance.

Nationwide, disenfranchisement affects over six million citizens with felony convictions, and in Florida, Jim Crow–era laws permanently denied such citizens the right to vote or hold public office. Meade developed a campaign to change Florida’s disenfranchisement laws through a ballot initiative and constitutional amendment. His approach centered those most affected by Florida’s laws. He and collaborators enabled formerly incarcerated people to speak on their own behalf and to meet with policymakers, academics, and community leaders. This strategy effectively conveyed to the public the harms disenfranchisement causes to families and communities. Meade’s campaign received a groundswell of support from diverse stakeholders across racial, socioeconomic, religious, and political divides. In partnership with the Alliance for Safety and Justice (ASJ), the NAACP, the Brennan Center, the ACLU, and many other state and national organizations, the FRRC succeeded in obtaining the 700,000 petition signatures required for placement of a constitutional amendment on the 2018 ballot. The Voting Rights Restoration for Felons Initiative would change the state constitution to establish voting rights for all adult citizens in the state of Florida (except for those convicted of murder or sexual offenses). On November 6, 2018, the amendment passed with 64 percent of the vote. It re-enfranchised as many as 1.5 million Florida residents and resulted in the largest expansion of voting rights in the country in the last fifty years. Since that time, the Florida legislature passed a measure requiring that legal fines and fees connected with a person’s conviction be paid before voting rights are restored. Currently, FRRC is helping people find the information they need to meet the requirements (as the state is not obligated to provide it) and providing financial assistance to meet outstanding financial obligations.

Meade and FRRC are also working on a series of criminal justice reform initiatives, including bail reform and re-entry programs, and finding ways to open access to housing and employment opportunities for returning citizens. Despite setbacks, his bold vision for empowering returning citizens through mobilization and education serves as a blueprint for other states to follow. Meade is pushing the nation closer to democracy that better represents the full extent of its citizens.

BIOGRAPHY
Desmond Meade received an AS (2008) and BS (2010) from Miami-Dade College and a JD (2014) from Florida International University School of Law. He is the author of the book Let My People Vote (2020). Since 2010, he has served as president and executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition. He was also the state director (2012–2016) of the Live Free Campaign of Faith in Action (formerly PICO Florida).

IN DESMOND'S WORDS


Smiling Black man in blue shirt and blazer standing in front of yellow wall with large FRRC logo. Text below photo reads: My work seeks to increase access to democracy, create greater participation in our economy, and create a new narrative that recognizes and honors the humanity in all of us.  When this occurs, everyone benefits.


Just like a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, I believe that the potential greatness of our society is intimately tied to how successful we are in strengthening individuals who have been most weakened by systems of oppression and dehumanization. My work seeks to increase access to democracy, create greater participation in our economy, and create a new narrative that recognizes and honors the humanity in all of us.  When this occurs, everyone benefits.



德斯蒙德-米德
民权活动家｜2021级
致力于恢复曾被监禁的公民的投票权，并消除他们充分参与公民生活的障碍。


德斯蒙德-米德的画像

标题
公民权利活动家
所属机构
佛罗里达州权利恢复联盟
地点
佛罗里达州奥兰多市
年龄
获奖时为54岁
关注领域
公民权利和公民自由, 刑事司法
网站
desmondmeade.com
佛罗里达州权利恢复联盟
社会
推特
推特。佛罗里达权利恢复联盟
2021年9月28日发布
关于德斯蒙德的工作
德斯蒙德-米德是一位民权活动家，致力于改变剥夺公民权的法律和其他阻碍曾被监禁的公民充分参与公民生活的障碍。曾被监禁的人在住房、教育和财政援助方面面临限制，在一些州，他们获得基本的民主自由，如选举权、担任公职和获得专业执照的权利也受到限制。作为佛罗里达州权利恢复联盟（FRRC）的执行董事和一个回归公民，米德亲身体会到有前科的人所面临的耻辱以及他们不适合参与民主治理的看法。

在全国范围内，有重罪记录的600多万公民被剥夺了公民权，而在佛罗里达州，吉姆-克劳时代的法律永久剥夺了这些公民的投票权或担任公职的权利。米德开展了一项运动，通过投票倡议和宪法修正案改变佛罗里达州的剥夺公民权的法律。他的方法以受佛罗里达州法律影响最大的人为中心。他和合作者让曾经被监禁的人代表自己发言，并与政策制定者、学者和社区领导人会面。这一策略有效地向公众传达了剥夺公民权给家庭和社区带来的危害。米德的运动得到了来自不同种族、社会经济、宗教和政治分歧的利益相关者的支持。在与安全与正义联盟（ASJ）、有色人种协进会、布伦南中心、美国公民自由联盟以及许多其他州和国家组织的合作下，联邦选举委员会成功获得了将宪法修正案列入2018年投票所需的70万个请愿签名。恢复重罪犯投票权倡议将改变州宪法，为佛罗里达州所有成年公民确立投票权（被判定犯有谋杀或性犯罪的人除外）。2018年11月6日，该修正案以64%的票数通过。它重新赋予了多达150万佛罗里达州居民选举权，并导致了该国在过去50年中投票权的最大扩展。自那时起，佛罗里达州立法机构通过了一项措施，要求在恢复投票权之前，必须支付与某人的定罪有关的法律罚款和费用。目前，FRRC正在帮助人们找到他们需要的信息以满足要求（因为州政府没有义务提供这些信息），并提供财政援助以满足未履行的财政义务。

米德和FRRC还在致力于一系列刑事司法改革举措，包括保释改革和再入境计划，并想方设法为回归公民开放住房和就业机会。尽管遭遇挫折，但他通过动员和教育赋予回归公民权力的大胆设想，成为其他州效仿的蓝图。米德正在推动国家更接近于更好地代表其公民的全部的民主。

个人简历
德斯蒙德-米德在迈阿密-戴德学院获得助理学士（2008年）和学士学位（2010年），在佛罗里达国际大学法学院获得法学博士学位（2014年）。他是《让我的人民投票》（2020）一书的作者。自2010年以来，他一直担任佛罗里达州权利恢复联盟的主席和执行董事。他还曾是信仰行动组织（前身为PICO佛罗里达）自由生活运动的州长（2012-2016）。

德斯蒙德的话


身着蓝色衬衫和西装外套的黑人男子微笑着站在带有FRRC大型标志的黄色墙壁前。照片下面的文字是：。我的工作旨在增加对民主的接触，在我们的经济中创造更多的参与，并创造一种新的叙事，承认和尊重我们所有人的人性。 当这种情况发生时，每个人都会受益。


就像一条链子只有在最薄弱的环节才会坚固一样，我相信我们社会的潜在力量与我们在加强那些被压迫和非人化系统削弱的个人方面的成功程度密切相关。我的工作旨在增加获得民主的机会，在我们的经济中创造更多的参与，并创造一个承认和尊重我们所有人的人性的新叙述。 当这种情况发生时，每个人都会受益。