TALLAHASSEE — Sen. Geraldine Thompson, a long-serving legislator and “trailblazing” civil-rights leader from Central Florida, died after complications from knee surgery, her family announced Thursday.
Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, issued a statement calling Thompson’s death a “profound loss for the Senate.”
“Her watchful eye, cheerful smile, and thoughtful, well-researched, and spirited debate will be greatly missed,” Albritton said. “Senator Thompson was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects, but I truly appreciated her passion for education. In addition to the remarkable legacy she leaves behind through her family, Senator Thompson also leaves behind her passion project, the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture, which continues to serve as a wonderful tribute to the contributions of African Americans to the Orlando-area, our state and our nation.”
Thompson, 76, a Democrat, was first elected to the Florida House in 2006, where she served until 2012. She then served in the Senate from 2012 to 2016 and returned to the House from 2018 to 2022. She was elected in 2022 in Orange County’s Senate District 15 and was re-elected last year after fending off a challenge by former Sen. Randolph Bracy in a bitter Democratic primary contest.
Thompson, an educator, established the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando and was a member of a task force that worked last year on selecting a site for a state Black history museum.
Thompson was “a giant here in Florida” and “was so much more than a dedicated public servant and visionary leader,” her family said in a statement.
“She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother whose love, wisdom, and compassion shaped their lives and the lives of so many in their community and across the state,” the statement said. “Her tireless work in education, health care, and civil rights, including her leadership to establish the Wells’Built Museum of African American History and Culture in Orlando, reflected her unwavering commitment to creating a better world for future generations. ... The world is a better place because of her.”
In an appearance last year on The News Service of Florida’s “Deeper Dive with Dara Kam” podcast, Thompson — who grew up in the segregated South — criticized a controversial law championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that restricted the way Black history can be taught in schools.
“It’s an effort to deny where we’ve been. And there’s no way that you can celebrate the progress that we’ve made, or where we are, without acknowledging where we’ve been,” Thompson said. “And so when you say that you can't discuss race in the classroom, that makes people feel uncomfortable. Which people are they? People like me who never saw myself in a textbook, never part of the curriculum, were not in anybody's lesson plans? So let's be honest about the people that you're talking about. You don't want the white students to feel uncomfortable.”
Thompson “was a force — a trailblazer, a historian, a fierce advocate, and a devoted mother and grandmother who worked every day to uplift all Floridians, ensuring that no one was left behind,” U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, an Orlando Democrat, said in a statement Thursday evening.
"For nearly 20 years in the Florida Legislature, she broke barriers and created opportunities, especially for Black and Brown communities and those too often overlooked. She paved the way for many, including myself, to step up and serve our communities,” Frost said.
Frost’s office worked with Thompson on efforts to preserve the historic town of Eatonville and champion voting rights, according to the congressman’s statement.
"Her impact and legacy of service, resilience, and unwavering love for her community will be felt for generations to come. She fought for a better future, not just for herself, but for everyone coming after her. We lost a giant, but her work lives on in all of us,” Frost said.
The late senator in 2020 successfully challenged DeSantis’ appointment of Renatha Francis to the Florida Supreme Court. Thompson’s lawsuit alleged that the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission “exceeded the limits of its authority” by including Francis on the list of nominees because Francis had not met a legal requirement of being a member of The Florida Bar for 10 years.
In a rebuke to DeSantis, the Supreme Court unanimously rejected Francis and ordered the governor to appoint another candidate from a list of nominees. DeSantis subsequently selected Justice Jamie Grosshans, and tapped Francis to serve as a justice in 2022, after she met the 10-year threshold.
The Florida Democratic Party also issued a statement mourning Thompson’s death.
“A lifelong public servant and a fighter for civil rights, her impact on Florida stretched far beyond the average elected official,” the statement said, noting her advocacy for health care. “May we all work to live up to her legacy.”
Albritton said in his statement that the Senate will hold a memorial service for Thompson during the upcoming legislative session.
“I think it’s important that we have the opportunity to celebrate her life and service and grieve this loss together as a Senate family,” Albritton said.
