Statements
Mission
THE EQUITY ALLIANCE unapologetically builds independent Black political and economic power. We educate, empower, and mobilize Black people to take action and keep our government in check.
We envision a world where Black communities are thriving and have equitable access to power, resources, and the freedom to choose our quality of life.
Background
Founded by six Black women, The Equity Alliance formed in November 2016 as an outlet for anger and frustration after a series of tragic nationwide events of racial injustices exsperienced by Black people. A local school board race brought the women together, but they soon encountered the outdated "politics as usual" way of engaging the Black community and soon realized it was not leading to transformational policy change. The founders wanted to disrupt the notion of the Black community being taken for granted with little in return from elected leaders. With voter suppression historically denying equitable access to the voting booth, the founders recognized a need for a new approach to Black voter engagement. Thus, The Equity Alliance was born.
The Equity Alliance is a Black-founded, Black-led nonprofit organization in Tennessee promoting intentional, unapologetic, innovative, and culturally relevant year-round civic engagement among Black communities, while providing these communities with the tools and knowledge they need to create sustainable change. We strive to get more people of color active in the political process and to increase civic participation as a means to achieving social and economic justice for communities of color. We believe in using our voting power in the fight for social and economic justice. Through civic engagement, community organizing, leadership development and policy advocacy, our work centers on creating a more inclusive, informed, and stronger democracy. We believe that democracy works best when everyone has a chance to participate, has equitable access to the voting booth, and is empowered to make their own informed choices on who represents their values, interests and issues. It is our belief that alliances and collaboration is essential at every level. We call ourselves The Equity Alliance, because we understand Black liberation means liberation for all marginalized communities. When we are empowered to show up as our true authentic selves, healed and whole, we are better allies and better advocates. Therefore, all our work happens in alignment with other marginalized communities.
Impact
TEA was founded on the understanding that racial inequity informs and impacts everything for Black people. Anti-Black racism is a principal threat to our full participation in democracy, freedom, and justice. Racism is a very complicated and dynamic structure intersecting political, economic, and social systems that reproduce racially biased outcomes. The standard is set where whites are consistently advantaged and Black people, and other people of color, are consistently disadvantaged. We see authentic relational organizing as the foundation of redesigning accountable and inclusive systems. Our solutions based approach centers the voices and experiences of directly impacted Black communities, and challenges the status quo by pushing institutions to create a people-powered alternative vision for how government works.
In 2017, The Equity Alliance organized the community to stop a major development project being planned on the grounds of a slave burial site at Fort Negley. The site, a historical landmark related to Nashville's role in the Civil War, was built by more than 2,700 slaves and freed blacks, many of whom died as a result of their labor. They were buried on the hillside, and TEA successfully fought to have their burial site left intact as homage to their sacrifice.
In 2018, we launched the Tennessee Black Voter Project, a coalition of over 2 dozen non profits with a goal of submitting 56,000 voter registration forms which resulted in 91,000 Black and Brown voters registering to vote for the 2018 midterms and a 413% increase in turnout among Black voters.
In 2019, we engaged over 200,000 Black and Brown tennessans through various voter education and community engagement initiatives. We testfied before Congress about voter suppression tactics in Tennessee and urged the House to restore the voting Rights Act of 1965.
In September 2019, we hired our first paid co-executive director. Prior to this, we accomplished this work with 100% volunteer support and earned our first $200k in small dollar donations from community members.
Also in September 2019, The Equity Alliance Fund, TEA's 501(c)4 afliate social welfare organization, partnered with two other grassroots organizations in Nashville to form the Nashville Justice League (NJL), and elected the most diverse and progressive Metro Nashville City Council in the city's history. Of NJL's 15 endorsements, 13 city council candidates won, including one of TEA's own founding board members - a clear signal of TEA's community trust and organizing strategy.
In 2020, when a deadly tornado hit Middle Tennessee on March 3rd (Super Tuesday primary), we mobilized more than 600 volunteers to action to clean up North Nashville and check on our neighbors. We brought together disaster experts, including FEMA and SBA, and engaged over 300 homeowners to urge them to #DontSellOutNorf in an effort to avoid predatory lending and rapid gentrification. We delivered over $75k in direct cash assistance to families and over 100k in in kind contributions to families, small businesses and churches in North Nashville.
For the November presidential election, we brought back the Tennessee Black Voter Project to engage and register over 400,000 black people across the state through phone calls, text messages, door knocking, digital/radio ads, our Tennessee Voter Guides, election protection program, Cocktails with the Candidates forums, Porch Politics podcast, and our I'm Black & I Vote Tour.
Needs
We know that resources and service infrastructure create opportunities for communities where the money is spent, but philanthropic investments in Black-led and Black women-led organizations in the South has been sorely lacking. The consequences of this underfunding is apparent in communities of color when you look at business, education and culture.
Organizing Black voters and communities of color in the South has big long-term benefits: voters are more likely to donate their time or money to local causes and more likely to take pride in their neighborhood and city. Eventually, these streets and city blocks change through self-determination. Accelerating this change requires investments that allow organizations like TEA.
The Equity Alliance is run completely out of homes, coffee shops and donated space. To further legitimize and grow our work, our team needs dedicated workspace for training, community meetings, workshops and organizing. Nashville, Memphis and Chattanooga are home to the vast majority of Tennessee's Black families. We have a three year goal to implement 6 fully staffed Chapters across the state of TN. Dedicated staff members in these cities would allow us to expand our reach and deliver our programming to underserved and under resourced neighborhoods.
CEO Statement
I am an educated Black woman and single mother. My father and daughter's father have both served time in prison. Yet, I've sat in corporate cubicles and offices managing six-figure accounts, and have testified before Congress on the importance of restoring the 1965 Voting Rights Act. In 2016, we founded TEA with $250 individual contributions. As a single mom who was receiving food stamps, that investment was a deep sacrifice. However, I knew that I was not alone or the exception in experiencing injustices and living through poverty - my community had its own individual stories to tell. From 2017-2020, TEA was led by 100% volunteer support and capacity. While working 3 jobs, I served with co-founder Charlane Oliver as the organization's volunteer executive director. Despite minimal investment and lacking organizational infrastructure, TEA's early successes were fueled by our Black experiences and driven by our passion and commitment to dismantle every oppressive system and uplift marginalized communities.
We have worked tirelessly to grow our mission, lead TEA in achieving our strategic goals, multiply resources, and innovatively mobilize people. TEA's commitment to community is reciprocated through community investments into our vision and mission. Over 50% of the funds we have received to date come from single dollar community contributions. s the unconventional leader who can see the unearthed gems and valuable qualities in others, it is integral to this work to cultivate solid team members and leaders. I stand alongside staff and volunteers as a movement midwife and democracy doula.
Tequila Johnson
Co-Executive Director
Chief Liberations Officer
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy - Voter Education/Registration |
| Secondary Category: | Community Improvement, Capacity Building - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Tertiary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Citizen Participation |
Areas Served
The Equity Alliance is Nashville based Statewide organizations. We currently have affiliate chapters in Nashville, Memphis, and Chattanooga. Our goal is to exspand to rural west Tennessee, Knoxville and Rutherford County by 2024.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN |
