Against the Grain II
By Vaughn Wilson
The Florida Senate held a memorial service for late Florida Senator Geraldine Thompson (D-Orlando) on Mar. 13 in the Senate Chamber. Right outside, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had ordered flags at half-staff on the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee and state buildings in her hometown of Orlando, Florida. Tributes of this nature are reserved for elite servants.
Thompson had served in both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, alternating between the branches of legislature. Upon her passing on Feb. 13, she was currently a member of the Florida Senate following a 21-point victory in her re-election bid.
The striking takeaway from the elegant ceremony was very simple. Thompson transcended the political rhetoric that has engulfed our planet. Across the globe, factionalism is at its peak. Never has there been more divisiveness between parties than we have seen over the last decade. The very notion of bipartisanship is eroding…except in honoring Thompson.
Colleagues in the Senate took turns reminiscing about the profound way she conducted herself and the way she injected Black history into her dialogue. They marveled at how she was one of the few Senators that everyone listened to. She led with an easy demeanor, but a stern message. She fought for her constituents, while commanding attention for the level of respect that all had for her.
The Florida Senate actually altered their normal session schedule to hold the vigil which was attended by virtually all members of the Senate. Many of them telling entertaining stories of their encounters with her.
With a majority Republican Senate, it was refreshing to see that her impact was felt across party lines. The warmth and humility that she exuded touched all those she came in contact with.
Her family members gathered to listen to the emotional recanting of the members of the Senate’s encounters with their wife, mother, grandmother and friend. Honorable Judge Emerson Thompson, Thompson’s widower, absorbed the emotional presentation with family along his side. A strong contingent of Thompson’s sorority sisters, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, crowded the gallery above the chamber to observe the ceremony.
Thompson was known for her warm encounters. I feel blessed to have experienced her presence on several occasions and it was the same each time. When you left her vicinity, there was always something she left with you. Something she conjured up that fit the occasion just perfectly.
She was the last of a breed who knew how to fight when necessary but opposed with dignity at other junctures. She was the grandma figure to so many and a mother figure to even more. There is now a void in the Florida Senate…one that can not be filled perfectly by anyone.
