Senator Charlane Oliver is a mom, wife, organizer, survivor, and award-winning nonprofit founder serving as “The People’s Senator” for the 19th Senatorial District. Charlane has spent two decades on the frontlines of racial justice, voting rights, and the fight for Black political power in the South.

In May 2026, Senator Oliver became a national symbol of resistance when she stood atop her Senate desk  singing "Lift Every Voice and Sing"  in protest of a racially gerrymandered congressional map designed to erase Black political representation in Tennessee.

She is the lone progressive voice in the Tennessee State 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.

#StandTogetherTN