{"id":89526,"date":"2025-12-19T17:58:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:58:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/89526\/"},"modified":"2025-12-19T17:58:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T17:58:08","slug":"orlando-officials-unveil-senator-geraldine-thompson-way-along-south-street","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/89526\/","title":{"rendered":"Orlando officials unveil ‘Senator Geraldine Thompson Way’ along South Street"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"GeraldineThe late Sen. Geraldine \u201cGeri\u201d Thompson, D-Orlando. Credit: Sen. Geraldine Thompson\/Facebook<\/p>\n

Orlando officials unveiled \u201cSenator Geraldine Thompson Way\u201d along a portion of West South Street Friday morning to honor the life and legacy of the late Orlando-area state senator who passed away earlier this year.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe honorary street name designation recognizes her decades of service, advocacy and leadership in the Orlando community,\u201d a news release from the city reads. Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer and Sen. LaVon Bracy Davis (Thompson\u2019s successor) unveiled the new roadway Friday.<\/p>\n

Sen. Thompson, 76, spent most of the past two decades in the state Legislature, as a Democratic member of the Florida House and Senate representing parts of West Orange County, including Pine Hills, Parramore, Eatonville, Ocoee and Winter Garden. She passed away in February, following complications from a knee surgery, according to her family.<\/p>\n

The new roadway designation for Thompson, located along West South Street between South Division Avenue and U.S. 441, was approved by the Florida Legislature earlier this year as part of a broader bill<\/a> (HB 987). That bill, signed by Gov. DeSantis, authorized the roadway designation for the late Orlando senator and various others, including \u201cHarris Rosen Way<\/a>,\u201d to honor the late Orlando hotelier, and \u201cPresident Donald J. Trump Boulevard<\/a>\u201d in Palm Beach County.<\/p>\n

Thompson is remembered as a champion of civil rights, a dedicated public servant and a trailblazer, as well as a beloved mother, wife, grandmother and great-grandmother.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A former Orange County public school teacher and Valencia College administrator, Thompson formerly served as the director of Parramore\u2019s Wells\u2019 Built Museum of African-American History, a building that once served as a hotel that lodged prominent African American performers and civil rights leaders during the Segregation Era. Thompson championed the preservation of that hotel<\/a>, located on South Street along the new designated roadway. Thompson also authored a compilation of stories reflecting African American history in Central Florida, titled Black America: Orlando, Florida.<\/p>\n

The Florida Democratic Party, in a statement released after her passing, described Thompson as a \u201ctrue trailblazer\u201d in Florida politics. \u201cA lifelong public servant and a fighter for civil rights, her impact on Florida stretched far beyond the average elected official,\u201d the statement read, adding that Thompson championed expanding access to healthcare, student education, and preserving Black history and culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Even Republican Gov. DeSantis had an almost complimentary statement to share in response to Thompson\u2019s passing. \u201cI know she meant a lot to a lot of people, particularly in Central Florida,\u201d DeSantis said at a February news conference, a day after her death. \u201cAnd, you know, she\u2019s been in the Legislature since I\u2019ve been governor, and we have actually worked together on some issues.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe bill also would designate part of West South Street in Orlando as \u2018Geraldine Thompson Way\u2019\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\tThe veteran legislator died Thursday following complications from knee surgery, according to a statement from her family\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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