Senator Charlane Oliver

Called into social justice activism after Trayvon Martin’s death, she co-founded The Equity Alliance in 2016 to unapologetically build Black political and economic power. Under her visionary leadership, she transformed TEA with $250 of her own money into a $2.5 million powerhouse in just five years, earning the prestigious recognition as The Tennessean’s 2020 People of the Year - a designation bestowed upon only a few notable Tennesseans such as Dolly Parton, Taylor Swift, and Vice President Al Gore - and numerous other accolades. A nationally recognized voting rights advocate and speaker, Charlane was named by Reckon South among “8 Black women fighting for voting rights in the South” after the election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. In 2022, Charlane was elected to the Tennessee State Senate, winning the toughest primary in the state cycle in 100 days as the only woman in a five-way open race. Now serving in her first term as “The People’s Senator” for the 19th Senatorial District, Charlane is the lone progressive voice in the Tennessee Senate, where she champions a bold legislative agenda that uplifts working-class families, centers racial justice, challenges corporate power, protects marginalized communities, supports women and survivors, and strengthens democracy. She leads the Senate Democratic Caucus as Vice-Chairwoman and the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators as Vice-Chair. Senator Oliver is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc, and serves on the national board of Women in Government. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville. A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Charlane is married to her husband of 20 years and they have three children together.