Kendrick Meek makes history as the first candidate to get on a statewide ballot by petition

United States Senate candidate and Florida A&M alumnus Kendrick Meek made history this week as he became the first candidate in Florida history to get on a statewide ballot by petition. After a year and half long campaign, Meek accumulated more than 100,000 signatures, according to the Tallahassee Democrat. Although all the signatures have to be verified as being those of registered voters, Meek is sure that he has more than enough to be placed on the ballot. Meek, a 1984 graduate of FAMU is U.S. Representative from Florida’s 17th District. His mother former House representative Carrie Meek precedes him in office. Now that Rep. Meek has gotten as far as getting on the ballot, it is up to the university community to support him, just as we did President Obama. His victory in November will be a great feat for black Floridians. If elected, Meek will become the first black U.S. senator from Florida-not to mention, he will join the very few blacks already in the senate. A victory for Meek would mean the sky is the limit for blacks in Florida’s political spectrum, especially if his stint in Washington is an impressive one. A good track record with Florida’s voters in Washington could very well constitute a successful bid for Meek to become Florida’s first black governor. In the months leading up to the Aug. 24 primaries, Rattlers everywhere need to mobilize to ensure that Meek’s historic campaign is not in vain. Meeks victory would open many doors that have been slammed in the face of Florida’s most vulnerable constituents. A victory for Meek would not only be a victory for blacks in Florida; it would be a victory of diversity in the South, which is most important.