The longtime lawmaker was remembered as a passionate education advocate and a civil rights icon who pushed for African American history to be preserved and accurately taught.

Florida State Senator and political leader, Geraldine Thompson, passes away at the age of 76 following complications from knee replacement surgery, according to a statement from her family.

Thompson, a Democrat representing western Orange County, was first elected to the Florida House in 2006 and served multiple terms in both House and Senate.