As Florida honors the life of Senator Geraldine Thompson today, the following is a statement from Common Cause Florida Executive Director Amy Keith: 

“It is hard to put into words what Senator Thompson meant to Florida. She worked to make not just her district, but all of Florida, a better place to live.

Senator Thompson was a civil rights champion, a voting rights defender, a writer, a historian, and much more. Whenever someone tried to make it harder for Floridians to vote, Senator Thompson stood up for the disenfranchised, including by sponsoring the Harry T. & Harriette V. Moore Florida Voting Rights Act. When it comes to honoring Black history and civil rights history in our state, Senator Thompson was a driving force.

The fact is, no tribute or words are sufficient to describe our loss. We can only hope that Senator Thompson’s life and remembrance encourage Floridians to band together and honor her with renewed purpose to defend our fundamental civil rights.”