UFCW Local 1529
Standing strong for working families
Powering · Labor Education
The Equity Alliance
Building equity from the trap house to the White House.
Founded in 2016, The Equity Alliance is Tennessee's most influential Black-led organizing force. They've registered over 90,000 voters and mobilized communities across Nashville, Memphis, and Clarksville. Their approach is simple: meet people where they are and give them the tools to transform the systems that govern their lives.
90,000+
Voters Registered
2016
Founded in Nashville
3 Cities
Nashville · Memphis · Clarksville
What TEA Does
Tennessee Voter Guides
Free, nonpartisan public voter guides that help Tennesseans make informed decisions in the voting booth — part of the voter-power machine that has registered 90,000+ voters.
The LiberTEA Collective
An 8-week intensive leadership program cultivating a pipeline of Black Tennesseans ready to transform their communities as rising civic leaders and democracy defenders.
The Black Print
A policy agenda for a Tennessee where Black communities thrive — with equitable access to power, resources, dignity, safety, financial security, and fair representation.
Feed the Block
When the federal shutdown paused SNAP benefits, they didn't wait for systems to start working — they built their own response, feeding families across Tennessee.
Tennessee Isn't a Lost Cause — It's Fertile Ground
When Tennessee expelled two Black legislators for standing with their communities, The Equity Alliance led the fight to get them reinstated.
When the state tried to criminalize voter registration, they fought back — and won.
90,000+ voters registered across Nashville, Memphis, and Clarksville — and counting.
We Don't Just Want a Seat at the Table — We're Building Our Own Tables
The Equity Alliance educates, empowers, and mobilizes Black people to take action and keep government in check — with intentional, unapologetic, innovative, and culturally relevant year-round civic engagement. Their victories prove Tennessee isn't a lost cause: it's fertile ground for transformation.
Our TEAm
Co-Founder & CEO
Tequila M. Johnson
"The Mouth of the South"
Tequila M. Johnson is an award-winning activist, community organizer, and political strategist whose work creates equity by expanding economic opportunity and civic engagement for marginalized communities. Featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, and MSNBC, she co-founded The Equity Alliance to equip Black Tennesseans with the tools and strategies to strengthen their communities and keep government in check.
Her recognition includes 2020 Tennessean of the Year, 2020 Roddenberry Civil Rights Fellow, 2021 Echoing Green Fellow, the NAACP Ella Baker Power Award, and the Nashville Business Journal's Women of Influence Award. A Tennessee State University graduate with a master's in counseling psychology, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in industrial and organizational psychology.
A Community Partner of Labor Education
Voter power is worker power. The Equity Alliance's fight — free and fair access to the ballot, economic justice, and communities that keep their government in check — is the same fight this labor community wages every day. From our Voter Power Hub to their Tennessee Voter Guides, we're proud to stand with Tennessee's leading Black-led grassroots organization as a community partner.
THE SOUTH GOT SOMETHING TO SAY
Educate. Organize. Mobilize. Take the pledge and stand with the Southern movement.
Fair Price Watch
Surveillance pricing hits Black and working-class communities first and hardest — the same store charging different people different prices. Spot a price that's higher in your neighborhood than across town? Report it anonymously and help build the case for economic justice at the checkout counter.
Open Fair Price Watch
End the Grocery Tax
Tennessee families shouldn't pay a tax just to eat. See the campaign and take action.
Stay Connected
Connect with The Equity Alliance
Want to get involved, partner, or learn more? Reach out through their website.
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