Josaphat Celestin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Josaphat Celestin
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| Mayor of North Miami, Florida | |
| In office 2001–2005 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Wolland |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Burns |
| Personal details | |
| Born | August 11, 1956 Port-au-Prince, Haiti |
| Political party | Republican |
Josaphat J. Celestin, also known as Joe Celestin, is an American politician. He served as the mayor of North Miami, Florida from 2001 to 2005. A member of the Republican Party, he made history. He was the first Haitian-American mayor of a large city in the United States.
Celestin was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. His father was a doctor. Josaphat moved to the United States in 1979.
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Josaphat Celestin: A Political Journey
Early Steps in Politics
Josaphat Celestin began his political journey in the 1990s. In 1996, he tried to get elected to the Florida Legislature. This group makes laws for the state of Florida. He was not successful that time.
In 1997, he helped create a group called the Haitian-American Political Action Committee (HAPAC). This group worked to help Haitian-Americans get more involved in politics. In 1998, he ran for the Florida Senate, another part of the state's law-making body. He did not win this election either.
Becoming Mayor of North Miami
Celestin ran for mayor of North Miami in 1999, but he did not win. However, he tried again in 2001. This time, he was elected as the Mayor of North Miami. This was a very important moment. He became the first Haitian-American mayor of a big city in the U.S.
He was re-elected in 2003. No one ran against him, so he won easily. He served as mayor until 2005. He left office because of "term limits." This means there is a rule about how many times a person can serve in that position.
Later Political Efforts
After leaving the mayor's office, Celestin continued to be interested in politics. In 2009, he thought about running for mayor again. However, he decided not to, to avoid causing disagreements.
In 2011, he ran for a seat in the State Senate. He was trying to get the position that Frederica Wilson had left. On March 1, 2011, he was defeated by another politician, Oscar Braynon.
