AUSTIN — Before the legislative session came to a close, the longest-serving Black lawmaker in the House received recognition for her time in office. The Texas House adopted a resolution, HR 2185, in honor of Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, earlier this week.  

“She truly is the embodiment of Maya Angelou’s ‘Phenomenal Woman,’” said Rep. Ron Reynolds and Texas Black Caucus chair. “She truly is someone whose shoulders we stand on — someone who has been a pioneer, trailblazer. Someone who is unapologetic about her passion and advocacy not just for her constituents, but all Texans – for the underserved, for those often who don’t have a voice, she walks softly and carries a big stick.”

A graduate of Texas Southern University, Thompson earned her law degree from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law. She received her Master of Law from the University of Houston. In 1972, Thompson served as a lawyer in Houston, helping her to get elected to the Texas House of Representatives to continue working on behalf of her community. In an interview with Houston affiliate KTRK, Thompson reflected on her time in office as a freshman member.

“The first thing I thought about when I was there 50 years ago was that I was a person who was not allowed on the grounds because of my ethnicity just a few years earlier. And I was in awe because of the fact that I had a chance to go and serve in the legislature,” Thompson recalled. “When we went in, in 1973, women could not get a credit card in their name. I don’t care how much money they had, they couldn’t even buy property in their name. Everything had to be done through a man.”

During her time in office, she’s authored and co-authored several bills, including the James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Act, in remembrance of Byrd, which took 10 years to pass. On the morning of June 7, 1998, three white men picked the 49-year-old up after leaving a party. According to police, John William King, Shawn Berry and Lawrence Russell Brewer drove him to a secluded area where they beat him and then tied a logging chain around his ankles to drag him behind a pickup truck for nearly three miles.

“She really is the conscience of the House,” Reynolds said. “She’s known and respected and admired not just in this body, not just in Texas, but as Tony reminded us all over the country. There are people all over the country that marvel at how active she still is. She can run circles around a lot of freshman members in this House at 50 years.”

Thompson and seven others formed the Texas Legislative Black Caucus with the goal of addressing issues African Americans face across the state of Texas. Its priorities center on public education, mental health, criminal justice, health care and business and economic development.

Affectionately called “Ms. T,” her work across the aisle to pass legislation on behalf of her constituents made her the only recipient of the Rosa Parks Award from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus inscribed with praise for contributions to Texans:  

“Your hard-won statewide reforms are made only more remarkable by the obstacles you have overcome. Your peers laud your achievements and future generations will not forget your contributions.”

Rep. Tom Craddick, the longest-serving member in the House, recalled his friendship with Thompson telling a story about how the two first met.

“She’s been great to work with and it’s fun both being deans of the House,” Craddick said. “I think that mainly it’s a relationship, and that’s what the House is all about, whether you’re a democrat or republican, conservative or liberal… mostly everyone in here are friends.”