TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — To honor the memory of Congressman Alcee Hastings and his service to the state of Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis ordered the flags of the United States and the State of Florida to be flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on Friday, April 9, 2021.
The flags at the Palm Beach County Courthouse in West Palm Beach, the City Hall of Delray Beach, and at the State Capitol in Tallahassee will be lowered.
Congressman Alcee Hastings passed away on Tuesday, April 6, 2021, at 84-years-old.
The governor said "Congressman Hastings served fifteen terms in the U.S. House of Representatives since his first election in 1992. In 1979, he became the first African-American Federal Judge in the State of Florida. As a national leader and civil rights advocate, Congressman Hastings will be remembered for his strength and influence."
Throughout his career, he was an outspoken advocate for Floridians and championed the rights of minorities, women, the elderly, children, and immigrants.
A native of Altamonte, Springs, Hastings attended Florida’s public schools. He graduated from Fisk University in 1958 and later attended FAMU law school then based on the University’s main campus in Tallahassee.
Hastings was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1992, representing Florida’s 23rd district in South Florida. After redistricting, Hastings represented Florida’s 20th district since January 2013 and didn’t face a serious challenge for re-election since. During his congressional tenure, the former civil rights attorney and federal judge won election 15 times. He represented parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties.
During the 117th Congress, Hastings served as the vice-chairman of the House Rules Committee, is a member of the U.S. Helsinki Commission, and dean and co-chairman of the Florida Delegation.
In 1979, Hastings was appointed by President Jimmy Carter, becoming the first African American federal Judge in Florida. He served in that position for 10 years. With his election to Congress in 1992, Hastings was among the first African Americans to be elected from Florida since Reconstruction.
