Black-led, statewide advocacy group also endorses five candidates in Tennessee General Assembly races to push back against ‘radical laws’
NASHVILLE—The Equity Alliance Fund, a statewide racial justice advocacy group focused on increasing the civic power of Black and minority voters in Tennessee, announced six endorsements for the 2020 election season:
- Marquita Bradshaw, U.S. Senate
- Glenn Scruggs, State Senate District 10
- Brandon Thomas, State House District 49
- Andrea Bond Johnson, State House District 82
- Torrey Harris, State House District 90
- Gabby Salinas, State House District 97
“These progressive leaders have a clear vision for a better future for Tennesseeans. Under their leadership, families, black, white and brown, will have a chance to earn a good living, send their kids to well-resourced schools and get access to quality healthcare that they need to get well and stay well,” said Charlane Oliver, co-founder and co-executive director. “These candidates are champions for Black and Brown lives and will stand up to greed-fueled special interests and defend us against radical laws that seek to control our communities, suppress our votes, and perpetuate decades of racial injustice.”
The state legislature has a longstanding and concerning history of passing laws that target African American communities after Black-led movements push for change, according to Oliver.
In 2016, the legislature prohibited local governments from removing war memorials after the majority-Black city of Memphis announced its plans to remove a statue of KKK grand wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest.
In 2019, the legislature created the most severe criminal and civil penalties in the nation for voter registration groups that turn in forms with applicant errors after the Tennessee Black Voter Project, led by The Equity Alliance Fund, coordinated the largest voter registration drive in state history and submitted over 91,000 forms.
In 2020, the legislature targeted Black Lives Matter protestors with a law that made it a felony for being on state grounds after 10 p.m. after dozens of people demonstrated day-and-night at the Capitol for two months.
The Equity Alliance Fund, the affiliate 501(c)4 advocacy organization of The Equity Alliance, encourages Black voters to support policies and candidates who will invest in overlooked and underserved communities of color.