Hailed as a “Now Generation Activist” and 2020 “Person of the Year” by The Tennessean and a 2019 Woman of Influence by the Nashville Business Journal, Charlane Oliver is an award-winning community organizer, respected movement builder, and public relations strategist. Recently she was named to Nashville’s 2020 Power 100 list and is considered a rising star among Music City’s political scene. She is the co-founder and co-executive director of The Equity Alliance, a nonprofit that works to build independent political power among the Black electorate and end voter suppression in a state with one of the lowest voter participation rates in the nation.
With the recent election of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Charlane has been named by Reckon South among 8 women fighting for voting rights in the South.
As a trusted voice on voting rights issues, her work has been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Rolling Stone, National Journal, Pew Charitable Trusts, Huffington Post, the Associated Press, Think Progress, on NPR Weekend Edition, MSNBC, CNN, internationally and throughout Tennessee. She has graced the coveted stage at the inaugural TEDxNashvilleWomen and has been a featured guest on various local television broadcasts, radio stations and national podcasts.
Her organization led a statewide coalition that registered 91,000 Black and brown Tennesseans to vote for the 2018 midterms, increased Black voter turnout by 413 percent, scored two legal voting rights victories against the Tennessee Secretary of State, and is responsible for electing the most diverse and progressive Metro Council in the city’s history.
She is a partner with OEM Consulting Group, LLC and founder of the Power of 10 PAC, a political action committee dedicated to funding and supporting candidates of color. As a consultant and public relations expert for candidates, nonprofits, and small businesses, she has helped to elect school board members, city council members, judges and state legislators.
Prior to taking the helm at The Equity Alliance, Charlane served as the community liaison and communications strategist for U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper. She led one of the most successful voter registration initiatives in Congress called Project Register, a nonpartisan initiative that recruited over 215 Middle Tennessee companies to encourage their employees to register to vote online.
With nearly 20 years of professional experience in nonprofit management, civil service and communications, Charlane has garnered numerous accolades and awards, including the 2020 Luminary Award, 2019 Nashville Young Leaders Council Leader of the Year Award, and 2016 Nashville Black 40 Under 40. She serves on the boards of the Metro Nashville Emergency 911 Communications District Board, Purpose Preparatory Academy, Stand Up Nashville, and Nurture The Next.
A native of Little Rock, Arkansas, Charlane has a bachelor’s degree from Vanderbilt University and holds a Master of Public Administration from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.