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Gerry Monroe said his assignment was the youth, and that’s exactly what and who he fought for until he took his last breath. Several messages flooded timelines across social media on Sunday, announcing news of his death.

The community activist could be seen at nearly every Houston Independent School District board meeting, speaking out against a number of issues, including the recent takeover by the Texas Education Agency and also recently fighting for the reinstatement of Jack Yates High School Principal Tiffany Guillory.

Monroe was a proud graduate of the 1986 class of Yates, and showed his school pride almost everywhere he went, rocking the red and gold with t-shirts and his letterman jacket.

“I’m one of the villagers that believes in public education, and I believe that our kids are not getting a fair shot,” Monroe told the Houston Defender in an interview just last month.

Monroe was proudly known in the community as a “hell raiser,” and he showed no shame in holding people accountable – by any means necessary – when it came to the kids.

“You know, in the Bible when Jesus went into the temple and kicked over the tables? That was in reference to the thieves and the killers that were in there just messing over children and different things like that. So, education is my temple, and if I gotta come through and kick over the tables, then that’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna take you to hell before I get you to heaven,” he also told the Defender.

Monroe hosted his own show, called “The War Zone,” on Facebook, Youtube and Instagram. He said the show’s mission was to bring awareness to issues affecting the community, as well as exposing illegal activities.

Community members flooded social media expressing disbelief over his death, and expressing condolences.

We, too, send our thoughts and prayers to all who loved him. Rest well, King. Job well done for our kids. He was a true fighter, and will truly be missed.

A cause of death has not yet been released.

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