On the recordApril 21, 2021
I thank the gentlewoman from Texas for yielding. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Congressman Alcee Hastings. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., once said: ``The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of convenience and comfort, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.'' Madam Speaker, what we all know in this Chamber is that Congressman Alcee Hastings was never afraid to stand during times of challenge and controversy. You see, Congressman Hastings was born in central Florida in Altamonte Springs. He was always so proud to share his stories with me about growing up in a city not far from the district I now represent. Alcee Hastings was a giant in our State, the dean of the delegation. When I think about what it meant for Alcee, being the dean was a lot more than being the longest serving Member. Alcee Hastings was a giant of a man in Florida, but he was a giant of a man around the Nation and a giant of a man in our world. As you have heard, he was the first Black person, period, man or woman, appointed as a Federal judge in Florida. We all know the joys and the pain of being a first and paving the way for others to follow, paving the way for other boys and girls and men and women, regardless of the color of their skin, paving the way for them as a first. I remembered that appointment.…
