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.

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.

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.