State Sen. Geraldine Thompson, Orlando teacher who stood up for Black history in Florida, dies

ORLANDO, Fla. – Geraldine Thompson, who represented Orange County in the Florida House and Senate for almost 20 years, died Thursday, according to several lawmakers who worked with Thompson throughout her career.

Thompson, 76, died following complications from knee replacement surgery, according to a statement from the family obtained by News 6.

“Senator Geraldine Thompson was so much more than a dedicated public servant and visionary leader,” the family’s statement read. “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.”

State Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, D-Orlando, whose family is close to Thompson, called her a partner in work and in supporting the community.

“For me, this loss is deeply personal,” Bracy Davis wrote on Facebook. “Senator Thompson wasn’t just a colleague; she was family. She stood beside my late father and my mother as a bridesmaid 50 years ago in their wedding. My mother too stood beside her as her maid of honor as she wed the love of her life, Judge Emerson Thompson over 50 years ago. Our bond went beyond politics—it was rooted in love, history, and an unshakable commitment to one another."

Thompson was a teacher for Orange County Public Schools and worked at Valencia College when she first ran for Florida House. She won her first election in 2006, and over the next 2 decades alternated between serving in the Florida House and Florida Senate, always representing West Orange County.

In the legislature, she advocated for public education, voting rights, and public health. After a tourist died on an International Drive attraction in 2022, she worked to pass a law that strengthened safety standards for amusement rides.

Thompson was instrumental in getting a bill requiring instruction of Black history in schools in 2023, served on the African American history task force, criticized Gov. DeSantis' administration when they dropped the Advanced Placement African American History class in schools, and chaired the task force for Florida’s new Black History museum.

Before she entered politics, Thompson also fought to save the historic Wells' Built Hotel in the Parramore neighborhood, which was built in 1921 for Black visitors to Orlando who couldn’t stay at white hotels. Thompson turned the hotel into the Wells' Built Museum of African American History and Culture.

Last year, Thompson won a Democratic primary and reelection to Florida Senate District 15.

Thompson’s family says they will share funeral service information in the coming days.

Democratic and Republican lawmakers of all ages lamented her loss on Thursday evening.

Sen. President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, called Thompson’s passing “a profound loss for the Senate,” in a memo to the Senate Thursday evening, saying she was a “force to be reckoned with.”

“Her watchful eye, cheerful smile, and thoughtful, well-researched, and spirited debate will be greatly missed. Senator Thompson was a wealth of knowledge on many subjects, but I truly appreciated her passion for education,” Albritton said.