DESMOND MEADE STREET: It now stands “as a testament to the enduring impact of a leader who transformed his struggles into a mission for change,” said Miami-Dade County Commission Vice Chair Kionne McGhee, who sponsored the renaming of a portion of SW 28th Street. From above left, Mrs. Sheena Meade, Desmond Meade, Mrs. Stacy McGhee and McGhee. Below, Redland Community Councilman Wilburn Bell, State Rep. Kevin Chambliss, Mrs. McGhee, Kionne McGhee, Desmond Meade, Mrs. Meade and Meade Family. “This street sign is not just for me,” said Meade, “it’s for everyone who has ever felt they didn’t have a second chance.”

 

Miami – Dr. Desmond Meade, a former convict who turned his life around, graduated from law school and spearheaded an initiative that now allows former felons to vote, has a street named his honor.

Miami-Dade County Commission Vice Chair Kionne McGhee sponsored the resolution to rename a portion of Southwest 28th Street as Desmond Meade Street.

During a recent ceremony at 26700 Federal Hwy., McGhee said the street naming for Meade marks a significant moment in Miami-Dade’s history.

He said it recognizes a man whose personal journey exemplifies resilience, redemption, and dedication to justice.

“We took a firm stand to honor a man whose work has reshaped the lives of countless Floridians,” McGhee said. “Desmond Meade Street now stands as a testament to the enduring impact of a leader who transformed his struggles into a mission for change.”

McGhee said Meade’s fight to get Amendment 4 on the ballot in 2018, to restore voting rights to more than 1.4 million Floridians who had served time in prison, invoked shades of the Civil Rights Movement.

“He dismantled an era of injustice rooted in Jim Crow laws,” McGhee said. “His journey from homelessness to becoming one of Time Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People is proof of what leadership and perseverance can achieve. Recognizing our heroes while they are among us is a privilege, and Desmond Meade’s legacy is one we’ll carry forward with pride. Thank you, Desmond, for showing us that the power of change starts within.”

Meade said the recognition reflects his personal struggles and milestones in his life. His struggles included drug addiction, time served in prison and homelessness. He said his personal demons were the impetus to turn his life around.

“I walked this street as a drug addict, and today, I walk it with pride, knowing that it now stands as a beacon of hope for those who need it most,” Meade said. “This street sign is not just for me, it’s for everyone who has ever felt they didn’t have a second chance.”

While living in a homeless shelter, Meade enrolled in Miami-Dade College, from which he graduated with honors in 2010, and went on to earn his law degree from Florida International University College of Law in 2013.

Today he is the president and executive director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition (FRRC), a grassroots organization dedicated to ending the disenfranchisement and discrimination of people with criminal convictions.

Under his leadership the FRRC spearheaded the successful campaign for passage of Amendment 4 in 2018, widely considered a monumental step in expanding democracy.

Meade’s advocacy has earned him global recognition.

Besides being named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People in 2019, Meade has also been honored as a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

Meade sought to regain his civil rights, appealing to Florida’s clemency board and also asking for a pardon.

The clemency process in Florida was made more restrictive by former Florida Gov. Rick Scott, according to CBS News, establishing that the board has discretion to deny clemency for any reason, requires that applicants wait at least five years before starting the process, and are allowed just five minutes to speak during a hearing.

At a clemency board hearing on Sept. 23, 2020, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis denied Meade the pardon he would need to regain his civil rights.

He also stated that Meade was not eligible to have his rights restored because he had applied for a pardon.

Florida Secretary of Agriculture Nikki Fried, the only Democrat on the clemency board, and the only member who voted to restore Meade’s rights, emphasized that during the two years of DeSantis’ governorship, the board had approved only 30 requests from thousands of applications. She called Florida’s clemency system “broken.”

DeSantis, who has veto power over pardons or restoration of civil rights, cited Meade’s 1990 dishonorable discharge from the Army as a reason to withhold clemency, saying that Meade could reapply if he cleared up questions about it.