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Thelma Harper
Member of the Tennessee Senate from the 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office 1989
Personal details
Born	(1940-12-02) December 2, 1940 Brentwood, Tennessee
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Nashville, Tennessee
Alma mater	Tennessee State University

Thelma Harper (born December 2, 1940) is an American politician and the longest serving woman State Senator in the History of Tennessee and the first African American woman State Senator of Tennessee elected in 1991. She continued to break the glass ceiling in 2001, when Lieutenant Governor John Wilder appointed her to Chair the Senate Government Operations Committee making her the first African American woman to chair a major Senate committee. This ultimately led to her becoming the first African American woman to preside over the Senate. In 2011, she became the first Senator to Lead and Chair the Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislatures. She is a Democratic member of the Tennessee Senate for the 19th district, which is composed of a large portion of Davidson County including the urban core of Nashville. Since her district includes Downtown Nashville, she has been instrumental and a driving force in some of Nashville’s Historical moments like the Development of the Music City Center, the Downtown Nashville Library and the facilitation to bringing the NFL Titans Football team to Nashville.

Her re-election in 2014 marks her 25th year in the Senate. Harper currently serves on the Finance, Ways and Means Committee, the State & Local Committee, and the Ethics Committee. Overall, Harper has served as an elected official for more than 30 years. She began her public service in 1980 when she was elected as Executive Committee Woman for the 2nd district. She was next elected to the city council in 1983 where she served for 8 years. She simultaneously served as the 2nd District Councilwoman and as State Senator of the 19th District to complete her term in the city council. Harper is famously known for wearing hats, but it has always been her tenacity in getting the job done and focusing on issues important to her constituents that has led to her to be a driving force in Tennessee. When you speak to her constituents they often refer to her as “My Senator” a title she wears proudly. She believes being a public servant is about helping those you serve.

Education and Personal

Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/Accounting from Tennessee State University. Married for over 50 years with two children; one deceased. Her annual “Kids are Special Too” Easter Egg Hunt community event just celebrated 34 years. “It is great to have just one day where the community comes together to just have fun. I love seeing the kids playing outside versus playing games on their computer. It takes me back to my youth.” She currently serves as a board member for the Nashville Downtown Partnership, an organization focused on the revitalization of downtown Nashville.

Political Career

Grand Jury Foreman

Harper entered the political scene when appointed Grand Jury Foreman from 1977-1979 to the Davidson County 5th Circuit Court.

Executive Committee Woman for Davidson County

In 1980, she was elected as Executive Committee Woman for Davidson County. Harper was invited to the White House by President Jimmy Carter in 1980 to be at the signing of proclaiming August 26, as Women's Equality Day which further fueled her passion to serve.

Metropolitan Councilwoman 2nd District

In 1983, she was elected and served 8 years as a member of the Nashville/Davidson County Metropolitan Council for the 2nd District. Harper became the second African American woman to serve on Metro Council, after Lois Jordan who served on the Council from 1971-75. Right off the bat she successfully introduced and passed a bill to acquire the property and funds to build the Tucker Road Bridge to improve the safety of the constituents within her district which passed on the first reading. In a community effort with the Bordeaux Action Committee, Harper led the fight in the council and in the community to close the Bordeaux Landfill. She protested with clergy, community leaders and constituents on a mission to close the Bordeaux Dump. Harper and 14 other prominent members of Nashville’s Clergy, community leaders & citizens were arrested when they used their bodies to block dump trucks. This ultimately led to her passing legislation requiring “A Standard of Fairness in the Locations of Landfills”. When elected to the Senate in 1991, she simultaneously served as the State Senator of the 19th District and the Councilwoman in the 2nd District to complete her term in the city council.

Tennessee State Senator, 19th Senatorial District

In 1991 Harper made history by becoming the first African American woman elected to the Tennessee State Senate. She is still currently serving after winning in 2014. Harper ran with primary & general opposition in 2014 that resulted in a landslide win both races. The Tennessean article "Thelma Harper trounces opponent to win Senate Primary" http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/08/07/thelma-harper-pulls-lead-early-votes/13751589/for the Democratic Primary Up until then she had only faced competition twice since she first reached the state Senate in 1990, and neither challenger came close.

In the Senate General election in 2014 the landslide continued when Harper continued to trounce out her competitors for the Tennessee Senate District. Tennessee Senate District 19 2014 Results Thelma M. Harper (D) – 23,235 votes, Sterlina Inez Brady (R) – 4,701 votes, George Thomas (I) 2,899 votes, Rueben Dockery (I)write in - 38 votes https://sos-tn-gov-files.s3.amazonaws.com/20141104_PrecinctTotals_01.pdf

Thelma Harper has served as a state senator since the 96th Tennessee General Assembly. She is the secretary of the Senate Government Operations Committee and a member of the Senate State and Local Government Committee.

Senator Harper has yet to declare if she will seek reelection in 2018, but she has indicated she is considering retirement and has met with several great leaders interested in running if she chooses to retire.

Committees and Political Associations

Harper currently serves on the Senate, Finance, Ways and Means Committee; Senate Government Operations Committee; Senate Ethics Committee; Joint Government Operations Education, Health and General Welfare Subcommittee; Joint Government Operations Commerce, Labor, Transportation and Agriculture Subcommittee & the Unsolved Civil Right Crimes Special Joint Committee.

Democratic National Convention in 1980, 1984, 1988, 1992, 2000, and 2008. In 2000 she was one of the Convention speakers on day 4 of the convention speaking to "The Al Gore I Know"

Political Views and Issues

She believes being a public servant is about helping those you serve. Her annual “Kids are Special Too” Easter Egg Hunt community event just celebrated 34 years. “It is great to have just one day where the community comes together to just have fun. I love seeing the kids playing outside versus playing games on their computer. It takes me back to my youth.”

A trailblazer in politics, Harper is an outspoken advocate and a champion for families, women, senior citizens, children, education, and economic development within her district. she has took on a range of causes, including a fee waiver to provide students from low- income homes school supplies and lunch, proposed legislature that began the uniform dress code for metro schools, mandatory symmetry for breast reconstruction, strengthen law as a class D felony on financial exploitation elderly abuse by caretakers and legislation that renamed a portion of U.S. Highway 41 after civil rights legend Rosa Parks just to name a few.

In 2004, when asked by The Tennessean whether the Tennessee state constitution should be changed to say the right to an abortion is not guaranteed, she replied that the issue should not be written into the state constitution. In 1996, Thelma Harper was one of only two state senators that did not vote in support of a bill to ban gay marriage in Tennessee, instead choosing to abstain. Thelma Harper proposed legislation that would rename U.S. Highway 41 as Rosa Parks Boulevard, which was later successfully passed in both the House and the Senate.

AWARDS and HONORS

Harper has received numerous awards and honors over the years. The list below is a snapshot of the awards she has received throughout her career has a public servant.

2017 & 2012 Women in Numbers (WIN) TN Honoree; 2017 Vanderbilt Athletics Civil Rights Equality Weekend Honoree; 2017 Nobel Women’s President Award; 2017 NOBEL Women Legacy Award; 2017 Tennessee State University Homecoming Grand Marshal; 2017 Appreciation and Dedication to pushing Tennessee forward, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Association of Tennessee; 2015 Women’s Political Collaborative Honoree; 2015 Women’s History Celebration, The University of Tennessee Space Institute; Presidential Citation, National Association for Equal Opportunity in Higher Education; 2013 Living Legend Award, Greater Nashville Alliance of Black School Educators (GNABSE); 2013 Legacy of Service Award, Center for Service Learning and Civic Engagement; 2013 Human Rights Advocate Honoree, Tennessee Human Rights Commission 50th Anniversary; 2013 Appreciation of dedication & commitment, Nashville Davidson County Metropolitan Council Minority Council; 2013 Featured in the book “Black Firsts: 4000 Ground-Breaking and Pioneering Historical Events”, By Jessie Carney Smith; 2013 Unity Celebration Award, Leading Ladies; 2013 Featured in the book “Virtuous Women: Voices of Wisdom, Author, Omega Lambda Lambda; 2012 Dedication & Leadership Recognition, Tennessee State University Social Work Program; Featured in Style Blueprint article “Female Tennessee Trailblazers: Women Who’ve Paved the Way” Alex Hendrickson; 2011 Do-Right Diva, Oasis Center; Jaycees’ Woman of the Year Award; Woman of the Year Award, The Nashville Club National Association of Negro Business & Professional Women’s Clubs, Inc.; 2010 Appreciation for support and dedication to the people of Nashville, Judge B. Eisenstein & Staff of the Davidson County Mental Health Court; 2010 Davis-Galloway Empowerment Award recipient, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc.; 2009 Public Official of the Year, National Association of Social Workers (NASW) Tennessee Chapter; Thank you & appreciation for support, Boys & Girls Club in Tennessee; 2008 Leadership Award, YMCA of Middle Tennessee and Northwest YMCA; 2008 Davidson County Democratic Women’s Day Celebration Honoree; 2008 Professor Henry Alvin Cameron Leadership Award, Cameron High School Alumni Group; 2007 “E’ Award, Tennessee Economic Council on Women; 2007 Resolution recognition for responsible government, dedication & contributions to improve the quality of life for fellow citizens, Council of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; Harriet Tubman Award, Youth About Business; 2007 Women Leadership Forum Guest Speaker, American General Life and Accident Insurance Company; 2007 Guest Speaker, Department of Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System; 2007 Certificate of Appreciation, Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Omega Lambda Lambda Chapter; 2006 Appreciation & Service Award, Tennessee Children’s Home; 2006 Appreciation Recognition, The Tennessee Emergency Communications Board; Political Legislature Award, Coalition of Black Trade Unionist; Frances Williams Preston Award for Breast Cancer legislation and Awareness; Appreciation of support & dedication to preserve electrical safety of all Tennesseans, Tennessee Association of Electrical Engineers; 2004 Political Leadership & Government Service Honor, National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women’s Clubs Inc.; 2004 UTSI-NSBE Black History Month Speaker; 2003 Supporter Award, Southern Heritage Classic - Memphis; 2003 Outstanding Contribution and Distinguished Service, Pearl-Cohn Comprehensive Business Magnet High School; 2003 Appreciation Award for Support and Donations to the “I Have a Future Program”; 2003 Legislature of the Year, Junior Leagues of Tennessee; 2003 Proclamation for Outstanding Community Service, Councilman Ed Whitmore, District 21; 2002 Voice of Recovery Award, Tennessee Association of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Services; 2002 Outstanding Contribution in Government Service, Gamma Beta Chapter of ETA PHI BETA Sorority, Inc.; 2002 National Black Police Association (NBPA) for Outstanding and Dedicated Service; 2001 “Celebrating Women of Courage and Vision Speaker”, Federal Women’s Program Speaker, U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development; 2001 Recognition and Service to “Read Me Week” program; 1999 Torchbearer Award, Nashville Area Council of American Business Women’s Association; 1999 Meharry Legislative Circle of Friends Award, Meharry Medical College; 1999 Distinguished Service Award; 1998 Featured in the book “Tennessee Government and Politics: Democracy in the Volunteer State” by John R. Vile, Mark E. Byrnes; 1997 Legislative Award, Tennessee Register’s Association – COAT; 1997 Special Recognition Award, Joelton Middle School TCAP Assembly; 1996 First recipient of the Woman of Achievement Award for outstanding community involvement at the Women's Leadership Conference, National Association of Women in Education and Middle Tennessee State University MTSU's June Anderson Women's Center; 1996 featured in the book “Notable Black American Women”, Book 2 by Jessie Carney Smith; 1996 Founders Day Appreciation Award, Nashville Alumnae Chapter Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.; 1995 Women Making a Difference Award, A. Philip Randolph Institute (APRI) Nashville Chapter; 1995 Appreciation Award, National Black Police Association; Layperson of the Year for service to education, TSU Phi Delta Kappa; 1992 Outstanding Leadership & Service Appreciation and Guest Speaker for the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Business, Industry, Labor and Government Awards; 1992 Citizen of the Year Award, State of Tennessee General Assembly; 1992 Certificate of Appreciation for Outstanding Service the State of Tennessee, Governor Ned McWherter; Special Appreciation, 1992 Recognition of Outstanding Service & Devoted Support, The Democratic Women’s Club of Davidson County; 199 Special Appreciation, Maplewood JR. Pro Allstars National Champions; 1989 Supporter Award, Tennessee State University Aristocat of Bands; Faces of 88’ Award, Elgreco People; Special Recognition Award, Tennessee State Guard; Member of the prestigious Wall of Fame, Tennessee State University - Goodwill Manor; Who’s Who in Politics and Women in Government

References

Category:Living people Category:African-American women in politics Category:Tennessee State Senators Category:1940 births Category:Tennessee State University alumni Category:Women state legislators in Tennessee Category:Tennessee Democrats Category:21st-century American politicians Category:21st-century women politicians