TO THE CHAPTER INVISIBLE
Bar Association, the American Civil Liber- ties Union, N.A.A.C.P., the National Urban League, Miami-Dade Chamber of Commerce; Southern Poverty Law Center, NOW, Planned Parenthood; Women & Children First, Inc.; Sierra Club; Progres- sive Black Police Officers Club, Inter- national Black Firefighters Association, Broward County Democratic Executive Committee, Dade County Democratic Executive Committee, and the Pembroke Pines Democratic Club. In addition to the Laurel Wreath Award, Hastings received the Broward County Young Democrats' Humanitarian Award; Citizen of the Year from the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc; Sam Delevoe Human Rights Award; Glades Festival of Afro Arts Award; Judge Alcee Hastings Day in the city of Daytona Beach, on December 14th, 1980. Brother Alcee L. Hastings is survived by his wife, Patricia Williams; three adult children from previous marriages, Alcee Hastings II (Zeta Phi 1984), Chelsea Hast- ings and Leigh Hastings; and a stepdaugh- ter, Maisha.
Hastings began his career, in 1964, as a trial lawyer in Broward County, FL, and, in 1977, became a judge of the Circuit Court of Broward County. In 1979, President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the United States District Court for the Southern Dis- trict of Florida, becoming the first African- American federal judge in the State of Florida. For ten years, until his impeach- ment by the U.S House of Representatives and conviction by the U.S. Senate, he served on the U.S. federal court. He was acquitted in a related criminal trial. In 1992, Hastings won election to U.S. House of Representatives, representing the Florida 23 rd Congressional District's citizens and served in the fourteen suc- ceeding Congresses. His 1992 election win was the first time an African American represented Florida in the U.S. Congress since the Reconstruction. He was a congressional expert on foreign policy and international affairs. Hastings was one of only four House Democrats on the U.S. Helsinki Commission. In 2007, Congress- man Hastings became the first African- American to chair the Commission. His international affairs accomplishments caused the Congress to choose him to rep- resent it in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in European Parliamen- tary Assembly, where he served as vice president. Hastings was the vice chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Leg- islative and Budget Process, which deals with legislation regarding relations between Congress and the Executive Branch. Additionally, Hastings served as vice chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was a member of its Subcommittee on Terrorism, HUMINT (Human Intelligence), Analysis, and Counterintelligence as well as the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management. Previously, he also improved the electoral system as vice chairman of the Democratic Select Committee on Election Reform.
Hastings also served as Dean and Co- Chairman of the Florida Delegation and Senior Democratic Whip. He was a member of countless congressional committees and caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus. He was an ardent champion for the rights of minorities, women, the elderly, children, immigrants, and the homeless. His main legislative concerns were jobs for the middle class and working poor Ameri- cans; ensure that our election systems are easier and fairer; support small business- es; invest in green energy and infrastruc- ture; increase access to quality, affordable health care for all; ban assault weapons; supporting Head Start and other educa- tion programs; improve Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; protect the environment and pursue environmental justice, and provide family and medical leave to all workers. A 1954 initiate of Fisk University Chap- ter, the Alpha Delta of Kappa Alpha Psi, and a Life Member, Hastings was a long- time member of the Fort Lauderdale (FL) Alumni Chapter. In January 2006, the Fort Lauderdale (FL) Alumni Chapter donated its petition supporting Hastings for the Laurel Wreath to the Special Collections of the African American Research Library and Cultural Center. Due to his exemplary achievements as a public servant, the Fraternity ratified the chapter's petition at the 77 th Grand Chapter Meeting and conferred the 59 th Laurel Wreath to Hastings at the 78 th Grand Chapter Meeting in 2007 in Min- neapolis, MN. Hastings was the Awards Program speaker at the 65 th Grand Chap- ter Meeting, the Closed Banquet Speaker at the 78 th Grand Chapter Meeting, and the Closed Banquet Speaker at the 13th National Founders' Day Observance in Nashville, TN. Hastings was a frequent participant and supporter of the Frater- nity's Kappas on Kapital Hill programs.
Hastings was a member of the National
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