Hudson County, N.J.โs first African-American councilwoman, Frances O. Thompson, died Sunday after battling cancer, NJ.com reports. She was 74.
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Thompson, who was director of the Hudson County Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprise, was first pushed into the public arena in 1985 after she was elected to represent Ward F as councilwoman, making her the first African-American woman to achieve this feat in Hudson County. She held office for four years, until 1989, before later going on to work for the county in 1993, NJ.com notes.
โShe was my best friend in the whole wide world,โ Thompsonโs son, Glenn Bowen, told the news site.
Hudson County Executive Tom DeGise remembered Thompson as a โwonderful Jersey City lady.โ
โShe was a gem,โ DeGise said, adding that Thompsonโs โability to say what was on her mindโ made her a โgreat representative as an elected official and appointed official.โ
โItโs hard to imagine how you can replace her,โ DeGise said. โI donโt know if there are two Frances Thompsons; I doubt it.โ
Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop lauded her as a โtrailblazer and leaderโ who strove to โempower people of all backgrounds.โ
โHer own life was one that demonstrates the importance of breaking boundaries and striving for achievement and never giving up,โ Fulop said in a statement, according to NJ.com. ย โHerย leadership in diversity and fostering opportunities for all of Jersey Cityโs residents is her lasting legacy, having paved the way for thousands of young people in Jersey City, Hudson County and beyond.โ
Read more at NJ.com.
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