14 Facts About Desmond Meade

Desmond Meade was born on July 22,1967 and is a voting rights activist and Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.

Desmond Meade's mother worked as a waitress, and his father was a mechanic.

Desmond Meade served time in jail for felony drug possession, and after a fight with his brother was convicted of aggravated battery, a felony.

In 2005, after having considered suicide, Desmond Meade checked himself into a drug treatment program and began to rebuild his life.

Desmond Meade enrolled in Miami-Dade College while living in a homeless shelter, graduating in 2010 with the school's highest honors.

Desmond Meade then enrolled in Florida International University College of Law, the only public law school in south Florida, graduating in 2013.

Desmond Meade, who had done volunteer work for rights restoration during his years at Miami Dade, joined the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition while he was in law school.

In 2009, Desmond Meade became the head of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, a group aimed at restoring civil rights to felons in Florida who had completed their sentences and probation.

Desmond Meade described his goal as politically non-partisan, and worked closely with Republicans including former GOP lobbyist Neil Volz, who had spent time in prison in connection with Jack Abramoff.

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

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

Desmond Meade's autobiography Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Returning Citizens was published in 2020 by Beacon Press.

In December 2012, Desmond Meade married his wife Sheena, a labor activist and the mother of five children, whom he has adopted.

In June 2020, Desmond Meade was featured in a RepresentUs video focused on highlighting problems with America's criminal justice system.