
‘Trailblazer' Geraldine Thompson remembered in Orlando memorial service
Friends, family and public servants from across the state gathered Friday in Orlando to celebrate the life of state Sen. Geraldine Thompson, remembered as a 'giant' in Florida politics, Black history and civil rights.
'She was tenacious,' said former state Sen. Arthenia Joyner, D-Tampa. 'She always did what she believed to be right, regardless of what others said. She never backed down. She was a difference maker, a motivator, an agitator, a negotiator, a woman with a calm demeanor.'
Thompson, 76, died Feb. 13 following complications from knee replacement surgery, after having represented western Orange County for more than 16 years as a Democrat in the Florida Legislature in both the state House and Senate. She was reelected to the state Senate in November.
Her memorial service at Orlando's Majestic Life Church drew many state and local politicians, including Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost, and state Senate President Ben Albritton and featured touching remembrances from lifelong friends and tearful goodbyes from her children and grandchildren.
'She believed in us so hard, breathed life into us and made us believe in ourselves so strongly that I think each of us sit here knowing there's nothing that we can't do,' said her daughter Elizabeth Grace.
Charlean Gatlin, a former staff member, asked everyone who ever worked for Thompson to stand.
'Ladies and gentlemen, the individuals standing before you are representations of Sen. Thompson's essence of influence,' Gatlin said. 'They are educators, community advocates, lobbyists and public servants whose round of expertise has reached from the State House to the White House.'
Thompson's granddaughter, Symone Thompson, said Thompson's 'work ethic, her voracious reading, her passion for her community, her determination and her strength were all things that I admire about her. But I think that her love for the preservation of Black history and the importance of sharing Black stories is something that I will never forget.'
State Sen. Geraldine Thompson — veteran educator, lawmaker and civil rights champion — dies at 76 after complications from knee surgery
Thompson, a former Orange County school teacher and Valencia College administrator, turned the historic Orlando hotel for African Americans during Jim Crow into the Wells' Built Museum of African American History and Culture. She also fervently defended the teaching of Black history from the floor of the House and Senate.
'African American history is Florida history. It's American history,' Thompson said in a speech in the Senate, played in a video during the ceremony.
'In order to know who you are, you have to know where you come from, and how those who came before you have sacrificed and struggled to give you the opportunities that you have,' Symone Thompson said. 'I'm proud to be a legacy of Geraldine Thompson, and I will continue to work to preserve her story.'
Dr. LaVon Bracy, Thompson's friend of more than 50 years and the maid of honor in Thompson's wedding to her husband, Emerson, said it was not a coincidence that Thompson died during Black History Month.
'I feel that it is divinely ordained,' Bracy said. 'A reminder to always honor her legacy and say her name during the month that we celebrate Black trailblazers who have made significant contributions to our culture and to this country.'
Bracy also tied Thompson's efforts at the University of Miami — where as one of the few Black students she fought for faculty representation and the establishment of a Black Student Union — to the concept of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, which is currently being struck from government contracts and agencies in the state and federal governments and dropped by many corporations.
'Geraldine played an integral role in securing DEI victories 55 years ago,' Bracy said. 'DEI is still, unfortunately, under attack. I realize that the fight continues, and I'm grateful that there are people in this room, especially lawmakers here in this room, that have and will continue to embrace the spirit of resistance that she helped shape.'
Bracy's speech was all the more notable as her son, former state Sen. Randolph Bracy, ran against Thompson in a bitterly personal Democratic primary battle last year.
Thompson drew the endorsements of most of her Democratic colleagues in Central Florida, including state Rep. LaVon Bracy Davis, Bracy's daughter and Randolph Bracy's sister, and won handily to secure what would be her final term in office.
LaVon Bracy said she was at Thompson's bedside when she died, 'to witness the passing of the giant and the falling of a great tree.'
'God called his own special session,' Bracy said. 'I believe that my friend of over a half a century stood up and said, 'This is Geraldine. I am present.''
Thompson is also survived by her son Emerson Thompson III, daughter Laurise Thomas, six other grandchildren and a great-grandson.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Washington Post
7 minutes ago
- Washington Post
Trump White House opens door to historic military deployment on U.S. soil
President Donald Trump is prepared to send National Guard troops into more U.S. cities if protests against immigration raids expand beyond Los Angeles, administration officials said Wednesday, potentially opening the door to the most extensive use of military force on American soil in modern history. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in testimony to Congress that the Pentagon has the capability to surge National Guard troops to more cities 'if there are other riots in places where law enforcement officers are threatened.' Press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned protesters beyond Los Angeles that more 'lawlessness' will only increase Trump's resolve. 'Let this be an unequivocal message to left-wing radicals in other parts of the country who are thinking about copycatting the violence in an effort to stop this administration's mass deportation efforts,' Leavitt said. 'You will not succeed.' The White House's message coincides with a rise in bellicose language from Trump, who in recent days has threatened the use of force not only against immigration activists but also against any protesters who attempt to disrupt the military parade scheduled in Washington Saturday to celebrate the Army's 250th anniversary. The parade, which Trump has wanted for years and will feature tanks, helicopters and Army parachutists, is shaping up to be a symbolic culmination of a dramatic week in which in which the president not only prepared for a historic deployment of armed forces against domestic adversaries but openly embraced shows of military force. In a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina Tuesday, the president reveled in the nation's military power as base leaders showcased several tactical demonstrations. 'Time and again, our enemies have learned that if you dare to threaten the American people, an American soldier will chase you down, crush you and cast you into oblivion,' Trump said. In threatening the use of force against protesters, Trump notably did not distinguish between those committing acts of violence and those peacefully protesting against his policies. Leavitt, at the White House briefing Wednesday, answered a question on the subject by saying that 'of course' the president supports the right to peacefully protest and declared the inquiry a 'stupid question.' The administration's escalating rhetoric has invited comparison to the language used by autocrats in foreign countries, where leaders more frequently deploy their military forces within their own borders. White House officials maintain that the president is showing strength and dominance — and standing up for 'law and order' as Democrats go soft on violent agitators. Trump and his advisers have highlighted footage of looting and cars being set ablaze to justify taking action over local officials' objections. 'President Trump is fulfilling the promise he made to the American people to deport illegal aliens and protect federal law enforcement from violent riots, said White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson. 'This kind of thing doesn't happen in democracies, and it's becoming a routine part of our politics,' said Steven Levitsky, a professor of government at Harvard University, who has long warned that Trump poses a threat to American democracy. (Federal campaign finance records show that a person named Steven Levitsky who works at Harvard has made small campaign donations to Democratic candidates.) Trump has given himself more flexibility this term to escalate the military intervention and to upend democratic norms with fewer constraints. In his first term, military leaders prevented Trump from deploying troops within the United States. This time, he has surrounded himself with loyalists — though he still could face obstacles in the courts. California has sued to block the administration from deploying troops within its borders. Protests over the administration's immigration policies are expanding to more cities, including Philadelphia, Chicago and San Francisco. More are scheduled this weekend as part of an event called 'No Kings Day,' which activists are holding in opposition to Trump's attempts to test his executive power and, protesters say, defy the courts. Amid protests in Chicago, Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic whip, said it would be 'a serious decision' for Trump to deploy troops across the country. Durbin said he has not spoken with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker about the possibility of Trump doing so in their state. Durbin said Trump is treating the deployment of the National Guard 'as this routine decision.' 'It is not routine, using our military force to enforce criminal laws in our country,' he said. Earlier in the week, Trump warned that any protests against immigration raids in other cities will be 'met with equal or greater force' than used in Los Angeles. He said those troops would remain in the city 'until there's no danger,' providing only a subjective timeline for the length of their deployment. Trump and California leaders have sparred over whether the troops were ever a necessary response to the protests, which have been confined to several blocks and have included sporadic episodes of violence. He said he 'would certainly' invoke the Insurrection Act, which can be used by presidents to expand the role of the military in responding to domestic incidents, if he viewed it as necessary. The fact that he is even considering it is an ominous sign, several scholars said. 'In a democratic society, citizens don't have to think twice or think three times about peaceful expressions of opposition — that's what life is like in a free society,' Levitsky said. 'In an authoritarian regime, citizens have to think twice about speaking out because there is risk of government retribution. Maybe you'll be arrested, maybe you'll be investigated, maybe you'll have an IRS audit, maybe you'll have a lawsuit.' The showdown over the military intervention has intensified since Saturday, when Trump deployed the National Guard to California without the permission of California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who believed sending troops would escalate the protests. Newsom warned in a speech Tuesday that the deployment marked the onset of a much broader effort by Trump to threaten democracy. 'California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next,' Newsom said. 'Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes. This moment we have feared has arrived.' Also Tuesday, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced he was deploying his state's National Guard ahead of planned protests. An Abbott adviser said the decision did not result from Trump's rhetoric. The governor has previously deployed Guardsmen ahead of protests, such as during George Floyd demonstrations in 2020. 'This is not a frivolous thing. This is not a political thing,' said Dave Carney, a longtime political adviser to Abbott. 'If this was happening four years ago or eight years ago, he would have done the exact same thing. This is instinctively protecting people.' Carney said he suspects Republican governors will call up the National Guard only if they have 'good intelligence of what's being planned.' In other Republican-run states with recent clashes with ICE — either through protests or Democratic-leaning cities pushing back on enforcement — governors have resisted announcing any proactive deployments, despite GOP officials vowing to punish violent agitators. In Atlanta, where authorities used tear gas and made arrests Tuesday as anti-ICE protesters threw fireworks at police, state officials believe local and state law enforcement have been able to manage the demonstrations, according to a person with knowledge of the situation there who was granted anonymity to speak freely about plans. Likewise in Nashville, where Department of Homeland Security officials have clashed with the mayor of the heavily Democratic city, large protests have not materialized, and the Republican governor has not announced any deployment of military personnel. Meryl Kornfield contributed to this report.


CNN
8 minutes ago
- CNN
Rand Paul attacks ‘immaturity' of White House after rescinded picnic invitation, says he's lost a ‘lot of respect' for Trump
GOP Sen. Rand Paul is accusing the White House of 'immaturity' and engaging in 'petty vindictiveness' after he and his family were disinvited from the annual White House picnic long held with members of both parties. Paul, a libertarian-minded deficit hawk who has been raising deep concerns over President Donald Trump's sweeping policy bill, said his family – including his nearly six-month-old grandson — had been planning on attending Thursday's bipartisan picnic on the White House lawn. But Paul said their invitation was abruptly rescinded with no real explanation, even as the move came after Trump and his aides have been bashing Paul over his position on the president's bill for days. 'The level of immaturity is beyond words,' Paul said of the White House, adding that he's lost 'a lot of respect' for Trump. 'It's just incredibly petty,' Paul told CNN outside the Capitol on Wednesday evening. 'I'm arguing from a true belief and worry that our country is mired in debt and getting worse. And they choose to react by uninviting my grandson to the picnic. I don't know. I just think it really makes me lose a lot of respect I once had for Donald Trump.' CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. The move could be a risk for Trump. To pass his agenda through the Senate, he can only afford to lose the support of three Republican senators. Paul has indicted he couldn't support the bill because it includes an increase of the national debt limit, but he's said he'd be open to considering it if GOP leaders removed that from the overall bill. The White House and top Republicans have rebuffed Paul's demand. 'It's just, I think, a really sad day that this is the level of warfare they've stooped to,' Paul said. 'But it's also not very effective. It probably has the opposite result.' Paul said it's unclear if the directive came directly from the president or 'petty staffers who have been running a sort of a paid influencer campaign against me for two weeks on Twitter.' 'Who knows if it came from him,' Paul said of Trump. 'It could be from lower-level staff members, but these are people that shouldn't be working over there.' And then he took a shot at one of the most powerful aides in the White House, Stephen Miller. 'You have people that are basically going around casually talking about getting rid of habeas corpus,' Paul said. 'And the same people that are directing this campaign are the same people that casually would throw out parts of the Constitution and suspend habeas corpus. So, I think what it tells it they don't like hearing me say stuff like that, and so they want to quiet me down. And it hasn't worked, and so they're going to try to attack me.' When asked if he was speaking about Miller, Paul nodded. When asked by CNN if he believes Miller should still be working at the White House, Paul would only say: 'I'm just going to leave it at that.' 'I like Donald Trump, but when they want to act this way, it's where they begin to lose a lot of America who just wonders, 'Why does everything have to descend to this level?'' Paul added. Paul said that his wife, Kelley, along with his son, daughter-in-law and infant grandson were all planning on attending Thursday's event — with some planning to fly in Thursday morning. 'President Obama didn't disinvite us …. Biden didn't disinvite us, and we always did this,' Paul said, noting he's been to 10 White House picnics. 'It's the Americans' White House. We all pay for it.'


CNN
8 minutes ago
- CNN
Rand Paul attacks ‘immaturity' of White House after rescinded picnic invitation, says he's lost a ‘lot of respect' for Trump
GOP Sen. Rand Paul is accusing the White House of 'immaturity' and engaging in 'petty vindictiveness' after he and his family were disinvited from the annual White House picnic long held with members of both parties. Paul, a libertarian-minded deficit hawk who has been raising deep concerns over President Donald Trump's sweeping policy bill, said his family – including his nearly six-month-old grandson — had been planning on attending Thursday's bipartisan picnic on the White House lawn. But Paul said their invitation was abruptly rescinded with no real explanation, even as the move came after Trump and his aides have been bashing Paul over his position on the president's bill for days. 'The level of immaturity is beyond words,' Paul said of the White House, adding that he's lost 'a lot of respect' for Trump. 'It's just incredibly petty,' Paul told CNN outside the Capitol on Wednesday evening. 'I'm arguing from a true belief and worry that our country is mired in debt and getting worse. And they choose to react by uninviting my grandson to the picnic. I don't know. I just think it really makes me lose a lot of respect I once had for Donald Trump.' CNN has reached out to the White House for comment. The move could be a risk for Trump. To pass his agenda through the Senate, he can only afford to lose the support of three Republican senators. Paul has indicted he couldn't support the bill because it includes an increase of the national debt limit, but he's said he'd be open to considering it if GOP leaders removed that from the overall bill. The White House and top Republicans have rebuffed Paul's demand. 'It's just, I think, a really sad day that this is the level of warfare they've stooped to,' Paul said. 'But it's also not very effective. It probably has the opposite result.' Paul said it's unclear if the directive came directly from the president or 'petty staffers who have been running a sort of a paid influencer campaign against me for two weeks on Twitter.' 'Who knows if it came from him,' Paul said of Trump. 'It could be from lower-level staff members, but these are people that shouldn't be working over there.' And then he took a shot at one of the most powerful aides in the White House, Stephen Miller. 'You have people that are basically going around casually talking about getting rid of habeas corpus,' Paul said. 'And the same people that are directing this campaign are the same people that casually would throw out parts of the Constitution and suspend habeas corpus. So, I think what it tells it they don't like hearing me say stuff like that, and so they want to quiet me down. And it hasn't worked, and so they're going to try to attack me.' When asked if he was speaking about Miller, Paul nodded. When asked by CNN if he believes Miller should still be working at the White House, Paul would only say: 'I'm just going to leave it at that.' 'I like Donald Trump, but when they want to act this way, it's where they begin to lose a lot of America who just wonders, 'Why does everything have to descend to this level?'' Paul added. Paul said that his wife, Kelley, along with his son, daughter-in-law and infant grandson were all planning on attending Thursday's event — with some planning to fly in Thursday morning. 'President Obama didn't disinvite us …. Biden didn't disinvite us, and we always did this,' Paul said, noting he's been to 10 White House picnics. 'It's the Americans' White House. We all pay for it.'