Anthony C. Hill
Encyclopedia
Anthony C. Hill born September 9, 1957 is a Democratic
member of the Florida Senate
, representing the 1st District
His district encompasses portions of Duval, St. Johns, Flagler, Putman and Volusia Counties. He serves on the following committees: Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations (Vice Chair); Community Affairs; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Policy and Steering Committee on Governmental Operations; Military Affairs and Domestic Security; Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means; Regulated Industries; Select Committee on Florida’s Economy and Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (Chair). He is Senate Democratic Floor Leader and was appointed by the Senate President to serve on the Home Ownership Promotes The Economy (HOPE) Task Force.
Hill spearheaded an effort in the Florida Senate to pass a resolution formally apologizing for the Legislature's long support of slavery and expressing Florida's profound regret for the shameful chapter in this state's history. Passage in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives was a momentous occasion for all Floridians. Florida follows Maryland, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey in offering an apologize for slavery.
At Senator Hill’s insistence, along with Representative Ed Holman, Florida's state song, "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)", written by Stephen Foster was examined by the full legislature. The song, which refers to the "de old plantation" and to "darkeys" is offensive to many Floridians. As a result of their efforts, A more inclusive song, “Florida: Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky,” by Florida music teacher Jan Hinton was selected and now Florida has an anthem which everyone can enjoy, an Floridians have an option of an updated version of Old Folks at Home.
During the 2004 election cycle he served as Florida’s Statewide Co-Chair for the Minimum Wage Initiative, which helped successfully raise Florida’s minimum wage. After the mandate successfully passed on the ballot, Senator Hill led the fight in the legislature to make sure the peoples mandate was carried out.
While serving as Chair of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, Hill and other members encouraged Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist to issue an Executive Order establishing a Task Force to develop the requirements needed for the State of Florida to begin the process of restoring Civil Rights and streamlining the restoring of Voting Rights to former felons who have completed their sentences and all other court ordered requirements. In 2007 the Governor issued an Executive Order that provided for the restoration of the civil rights for certain ex-offenders. Under the rule, the civil rights of ex-offenders who have committed less severe non-violent crimes, and meeting certain requirements, qualify for approval without a hearing.
In 2007 Hill was appointed as an At-Large member to the Executive Board of the National Black Caucus of States Institute (NBCSI) for a three-year term. Also, in October 2007, Senator Hill in conjunction with Enterprise Florida lead a trade delegation to South Africa and Namibia, visiting Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bela Bela, Cape Town, East London and Windhoek as a continuation of Florida’s efforts to expand business and cultural partnerships in Southern Africa. Recently in October 2009 Hill in conjunction with Enterprise Florida lead a delegation to Dakar, Senegal, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. In April 2010 Hill and a high powered delegation of heads of state and key representatives of the African Diaspora traveled to Senegal to celebrate 50 years of independence with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
In the August 2009 Special Issue of Florida Trend Magazine, Senator Hill was featured as one of the “Must-Know Jacksonville Leaders”, with the quotation “ State Sen. Tony Hill was an early supporter of Barack Obama. He still has Obama’s ear.” In September 2009 the national political magazine, Campaign and Elections Magazine included Senator Hill as one of the fifty Democrats in “People of Influence.”
He is a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi
fraternity (Theta Phi chapter) and other honors include: Chair of the NAACP Florida State Conference Labor Roundtable; Founder of the Achieve, Instill & Inspire Foundation, which provides scholarships for African American and Latino males to attend college in the field of education; The Humanitarian of the Millennium Award, by One Church One Child, April 2008; The Norman Hill Award, the highest honor from the A. Phillip Randolph Institute, usually reserved for international candidates, July 2009; Elected to a three year term on the Neighbor To Family Board of Directors, January 2010; The Lester Granger Award from The Montford Point Marine Association, Inc., February 2010; and The Public Official Award Of The Year from the Children’s Home Society in Jacksonville, March 2010.
Hill is a graduate of Jean Ribault Senior High School, Jacksonville; attended Lincoln University, Lincoln, Pennsylvania; graduated from the National Labor College, Silver Spring, Maryland, B. A. Degree in Labor Studies; received Honorary Doctorate from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville. He is the middle child of Mrs. Cordelia & Mr. Ernest (deceased) Hill, Sr., is married to Patricia, the father of four children, five grandchildren and has been a member of the Greater Macedonia Baptist Church for over twenty five years, where he also teaches Sunday School.
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
member of the Florida Senate
Florida Senate
The Florida Senate is the upper house of the Florida Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Florida. The Senate is composed of 40 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 470,032....
, representing the 1st District
His district encompasses portions of Duval, St. Johns, Flagler, Putman and Volusia Counties. He serves on the following committees: Transportation & Economic Development Appropriations (Vice Chair); Community Affairs; Children, Families, and Elder Affairs; Policy and Steering Committee on Governmental Operations; Military Affairs and Domestic Security; Policy and Steering Committee on Ways and Means; Regulated Industries; Select Committee on Florida’s Economy and Florida Legislative Committee on Intergovernmental Relations (Chair). He is Senate Democratic Floor Leader and was appointed by the Senate President to serve on the Home Ownership Promotes The Economy (HOPE) Task Force.
State Senator 2002-present
During the 2008 Elections Senator Hill was honored to serve as Florida’s Co-Chair of the Florida Change Committee (and as a member of the Florida Advisory Council) for Senator Barack Obama’s successful bid for the Presidency. The Florida Sun Sentinel Newspaper designated five individuals, calling them the “Fave Five” whom then candidate Barack Obama needed to know in Florida if he wanted to carry Florida in the General Election, and Senator Hill was named as one of the “Fave Five.” During the 2008 election cycle Tony led a State-wide bus tour…”It’s About Us OBAMA/BIDEN”…which moved Florida from a Red State to a Blue State. He was one of two Senate Democratic members of the twenty-seven member Florida’s electoral college to certify Florida’s votes. Also in 2008, Senator Hill was elected to a four-year term as a member to the Democratic National Committee and was appointed to a four-year term as a member of the Florida Democratic Executive Committee.Hill spearheaded an effort in the Florida Senate to pass a resolution formally apologizing for the Legislature's long support of slavery and expressing Florida's profound regret for the shameful chapter in this state's history. Passage in the Florida Senate and House of Representatives was a momentous occasion for all Floridians. Florida follows Maryland, Alabama, North Carolina, Virginia and New Jersey in offering an apologize for slavery.
At Senator Hill’s insistence, along with Representative Ed Holman, Florida's state song, "Old Folks at Home (Swanee River)", written by Stephen Foster was examined by the full legislature. The song, which refers to the "de old plantation" and to "darkeys" is offensive to many Floridians. As a result of their efforts, A more inclusive song, “Florida: Where the Sawgrass Meets the Sky,” by Florida music teacher Jan Hinton was selected and now Florida has an anthem which everyone can enjoy, an Floridians have an option of an updated version of Old Folks at Home.
During the 2004 election cycle he served as Florida’s Statewide Co-Chair for the Minimum Wage Initiative, which helped successfully raise Florida’s minimum wage. After the mandate successfully passed on the ballot, Senator Hill led the fight in the legislature to make sure the peoples mandate was carried out.
While serving as Chair of the Florida Conference of Black State Legislators, Hill and other members encouraged Florida’s Governor Charlie Crist to issue an Executive Order establishing a Task Force to develop the requirements needed for the State of Florida to begin the process of restoring Civil Rights and streamlining the restoring of Voting Rights to former felons who have completed their sentences and all other court ordered requirements. In 2007 the Governor issued an Executive Order that provided for the restoration of the civil rights for certain ex-offenders. Under the rule, the civil rights of ex-offenders who have committed less severe non-violent crimes, and meeting certain requirements, qualify for approval without a hearing.
In 2007 Hill was appointed as an At-Large member to the Executive Board of the National Black Caucus of States Institute (NBCSI) for a three-year term. Also, in October 2007, Senator Hill in conjunction with Enterprise Florida lead a trade delegation to South Africa and Namibia, visiting Johannesburg, Pretoria, Bela Bela, Cape Town, East London and Windhoek as a continuation of Florida’s efforts to expand business and cultural partnerships in Southern Africa. Recently in October 2009 Hill in conjunction with Enterprise Florida lead a delegation to Dakar, Senegal, Cape Town and Johannesburg, South Africa. In April 2010 Hill and a high powered delegation of heads of state and key representatives of the African Diaspora traveled to Senegal to celebrate 50 years of independence with Senegalese President Abdoulaye Wade.
In the August 2009 Special Issue of Florida Trend Magazine, Senator Hill was featured as one of the “Must-Know Jacksonville Leaders”, with the quotation “ State Sen. Tony Hill was an early supporter of Barack Obama. He still has Obama’s ear.” In September 2009 the national political magazine, Campaign and Elections Magazine included Senator Hill as one of the fifty Democrats in “People of Influence.”
State House of Representatives 1992-2000
Prior to being elected to the Florida Senate, Hill was elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 14, in 1992 and subsequently re-elected, unopposed, for three consecutive terms. After leaving the Florida House in 2000, due to term limits, he continued his leadership activities: co- chaired the Florida Coalition to Reduce Class Size, resulting in Florida Constitutional Amendment 9, requiring smaller class sizes. After being elected to the Senate he led the fight to make sure Amendment 9 was implemented.Family and personal life
Hill began his labor career as a Longshoreman with ILA, Local 1408, Jacksonville. He is the former Secretary-Treasurer of the Florida AFL-CIO, having been first elected in 1995 and served through 2000. In April 2001, he was honored with the esteemed position of Secretary-Treasurer Emeritus of the Florida AFL-CIO. In September 2001, because of his extraordinary commitment and service to the labor movement, he was inducted into the AFL-CIO’s Florida Labor Hall of Fame and presented with the A. Philip Randolph Award. Hill is the youngest inductee, and the first African-American to receive this prestigious honor.He is a Life Member of Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi
Omega Psi Phi is a fraternity and is the first African-American national fraternal organization to be founded at a historically black college. Omega Psi Phi was founded on November 17, 1911, at Howard University in Washington, D.C.. The founders were three Howard University juniors, Edgar Amos...
fraternity (Theta Phi chapter) and other honors include: Chair of the NAACP Florida State Conference Labor Roundtable; Founder of the Achieve, Instill & Inspire Foundation, which provides scholarships for African American and Latino males to attend college in the field of education; The Humanitarian of the Millennium Award, by One Church One Child, April 2008; The Norman Hill Award, the highest honor from the A. Phillip Randolph Institute, usually reserved for international candidates, July 2009; Elected to a three year term on the Neighbor To Family Board of Directors, January 2010; The Lester Granger Award from The Montford Point Marine Association, Inc., February 2010; and The Public Official Award Of The Year from the Children’s Home Society in Jacksonville, March 2010.
Hill is a graduate of Jean Ribault Senior High School, Jacksonville; attended Lincoln University, Lincoln, Pennsylvania; graduated from the National Labor College, Silver Spring, Maryland, B. A. Degree in Labor Studies; received Honorary Doctorate from Edward Waters College, Jacksonville. He is the middle child of Mrs. Cordelia & Mr. Ernest (deceased) Hill, Sr., is married to Patricia, the father of four children, five grandchildren and has been a member of the Greater Macedonia Baptist Church for over twenty five years, where he also teaches Sunday School.
External links
- Florida State Legislature - Senator Anthony C. "Tony" Hill, Sr. official government website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Anthony C. 'Tony' Hill (FL) profile
- Follow the Money - Anthony C. (Tony) Hill Sr.