The St. Louis community is mourning the loss of three civil rights pioneers and legendary community leaders in July — Hazel Erby, Betty Thompson and Dr. Henry Givens.
In honor of their legacies, U.S. Rep. Cori Bush, D-St. Louis, on Thursday commemorated their lives on the House floor. Bush said she and St. Louis rose with heavy hearts.
“We will miss them dearly, but together, St. Louis strong, we will carry their work forward to build a more just future for all of us.” – U.S. Rep. Cori Bush
Erby died July 2 at the age of 75, leaving behind an impressive governmental legacy in St. Louis County. She served as the first Black woman on the St. Louis County Council from 2004 to 2019, as well as a founding member of the Fannie Lou Hamer coalition, a group of Black progressive legislators within the St. Louis County government. She also served as the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion under County Executive Dr. Sam Page in 2019 and 2020.
Nine days later, on July 11, Thompson also died at the age of 81. She spent 18 years serving on the University City Council as the city’s first Black councilwoman and then was elected to the Missouri House of Representatives, where she served eight years. She ran for the council seat after her request to build a swimming pool in her backyard was met with derision.
“Mama Hazel and Mama Betty were trailblazers — breaking down barriers for Black women and all Black people to be leaders in St. Louis and beyond,” Bush said on the House floor. “I would not be Missouri’s first Black Congresswoman without the doors they opened up for me.”
Bush noted in a media release that last month she was awarded the Betty L. Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award.
Nine days after Thompson died, on July 20, longtime Harris-Stowe State University President Dr. Henry Givens, Jr. died at the age of 90. During his tenure at the school, student enrollment tripled, six additional buildings were constructed and the single elementary education degree it offered grew to 14. Many say his name became synonymous with Harris-Stowe State University.
“Dr. Henry Givens, Jr. led Harris-Stowe State University for 32 years,” Bush said. “His leadership transformed Harris-Stowe, the university I attended, from a small college with just one building into the nationally acclaimed HBCU that it is today.”
Bush serves on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Reform. She is also a Deputy Whip of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Following the killing of Michael Brown, Jr. by a Ferguson police officer, the registered nurse, single mother and ordained pastor became a civil rights activist and community organizer in the fight for racial justice before running for Congress.
“We will miss them dearly, but together, St. Louis strong, we will carry their work forward to build a more just future for all of us,” she said.