Tami Sawyer facts for kids

Tami Sawyer was born on April 27, 1982. She is an American politician and a leader in civil rights. In August 2018, she was elected as the Shelby County Commissioner for District 7. She lives in Memphis, Tennessee.

Tami Sawyer is a member of the Democratic Party. She led the Education and Legislative committees as their chair. She also chaired the Shelby County Commission Black Caucus. In 2024, Sawyer is running to become the Shelby County General Sessions Court Clerk.

Sawyer has shared her ideas on social justice and public policy. She has appeared on many news outlets like Al Jazeera, CNN, and NPR. In 2020, a film about her 2019 campaign for mayor, We Can't Wait, won an award. She is also in the 2022 documentary, Who We Are: A Chronicle of Racism in America.

Sawyer is part of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Links, Inc. These are social groups for Black women.

Early Life and School

Tami Sawyer was born in Evanston, Illinois. Her parents are Gladys and Andrew Sawyer, Jr. She has an older brother named Michael. When she was 8, her family moved to South Holland, Illinois.

At age 12, her family moved to Tennessee, her mother's home state. They lived in Mason, Tennessee. Tami went to St. Mary's Episcopal School for middle and high school. She finished high school in 2000.

After high school, Sawyer attended Hampton University. She then graduated from the University of Memphis in 2004. She earned a degree in Political Science. She later studied law at Howard University School of Law for two years. As of 2020, she is studying at the University of Memphis again. She is working on a master's degree in communications.

Career Journey

From 2008 to 2014, Tami Sawyer worked for the United States Navy. She helped with programs that promoted diversity. During this time, she also appeared on the Food Network's show Cupcake Wars. She even owned a small cupcake business called Tami Cakes.

After living in Washington, DC for ten years, she moved back to Memphis. She worked for Shelby County Schools. There, she helped teachers get their licenses.

In 2015, Sawyer started working for Teach For America Memphis. She was a managing director for diversity and community partnerships. She worked there for five years.

After Teach for America, Sawyer held leadership roles. She worked with groups like Black Voters Matter and Our Black Party.

Sawyer is also on the board of Common Cause. She is a co-chair for the Memphis NAACP Legal Defense Fund.

Activism and #TakeEmDown901

Tami Sawyer became involved in social justice after some important events. These included the trial related to the death of Trayvon Martin in 2013. In 2014, she led her first protest. This was after a grand jury decided not to charge an officer in the death of Michael Brown. Sawyer became a known leader in the Black Lives Matter movement in Memphis.

In December 2015, Sawyer organized a vigil. This was after a prosecutor decided not to charge officers in the death of Tamir Rice. The vigil was held near a statue of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest.

Two years later, the City of Memphis removed the Forrest statue. They also removed a statue of Jefferson Davis. This happened after pressure from the #TakeEmDown901 movement. Tami Sawyer started and led this movement.

After being elected in 2018, Sawyer continued her activism. She took part in the 2020 George Floyd protests in Memphis. In 2021, she was arrested outside the White House. She was protesting with other activists to protect voting rights.

Political Campaigns

• 2016 Tennessee State Representative, District 90:
  • Sawyer ran in the Democratic Primary but lost.
• 2018 Shelby County Commissioner, District 7:
  • Sawyer won the Democratic Primary with 50.3% of the vote.
  • She then won the general election against Republican Sam Goff. Sawyer received 80.5% of the votes.
• 2019 Memphis Mayor:
  • Sawyer ran for mayor but did not win. She finished 3rd out of 11 candidates.

Sawyer's term as Commissioner ended on August 31, 2022. She decided not to run for re-election. She plans to study for a Ph.D. in public policy.

Awards and Recognition

• Ebony Power 100 List 2018
• Memphis Business Journal Top 40 under 40 Class of 2018
• The Tennessean's 18 Tennesseans to Watch in 2018
• Reckon South's 2022 Reckon List
• Women of Achievement Heroism Award 2018