Miami Dade College alumnus Desmond Meade was recently named one of the TIME 100: The Most Influential People 2019.
Meade, 51, received the recognition as a result of his tireless efforts to secure voting rights for former felons. He currently serves as the president of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, where he helped restore voting rights to over 1.4 million ex-convicts in Florida through the passing of Amendment Four in 2018.
“Being named to the TIME 100 is an unexpected honor that I believe speaks to the power of committing to being of service to others, and the power of love to transform conditions and people,” Meade said in a statement.
Meade spent three years in prison for a drug charge conviction. Despite experiencing homelessness when he got out, Meade earned an associate in arts degree from Miami Dade College and continued his education at the Florida International University College of Law.
