NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A portion of Clarksville Pike will bear the name of one of Tennessee's most influential lawmakers, honoring the legacy of the late Senator Thelma Harper.
A dedication ceremony is tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. at the Bordeaux Library. There will be music, speakers, and refreshments. Attendees are asked to wear red in Senator Harper's honor.
Harper was the first Black woman elected to the Tennessee Senate and represented North Nashville for nearly 3 decades.
Her daughter, Linda Harper, said the honor reflects what her mother meant to the community.
"Once you cross that bridge, welcome to Bordeaux. That's something special because over here it's about community," Linda said.
Linda adds her mother was driven by humble beginnings and a determination to make history.
"She was a sharecropper's daughter, one of 11, and she made history," Linda said.
Linda said her mother always believed a community needed three things to thrive:
"You have economic development, community development and people development. You need all three to be successful," she said.
Senator Harper's legacy inspired Senator Charlane Oliver to become her successor. Oliver said Harper was the leader she pointed to when voters asked who inspired her while running for office.
"I held up a picture of Senator Thelma Harper standing in front of a dump truck opposing the landfill that was in north Nashville at the time, and this was 30 years ago. She stood in front of a dump truck and put her body on the line to say, no we won't accept you dumping on our community," Oliver explained.
For Oliver, dedicating a portion of Clarksville Pike to Senator Harper was fitting.
"She is giving every black little girl permission, like me, to say, 'You can be a state Senator too. You can be a Congress person too.' You can be whatever you want to be because someone like Thelma Harper served with dignity, pride and such tenacity," Oliver said.
Linda knows her mother would have loved the tribute.
"One thing I can say is, she's flapping those angel wings with a big hat on saying thank you," Linda said.
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