Carnita Atwater from the Democratic Party is a candidate for governor of Tennessee. She will be on the Democratic primary ballot on August 4, 2022.

Carnita Atwater was born in the Mississippi town of Clarksdale. Atwater attended Frayser High School. She graduated from Murray State University with a bachelor’s degree in community health education and nursing in 1996, Austin Peay State University with a master’s degree in gerontology, public health administration, and psychology in 1998, and the University of Bristol with a doctorate in public health administration and education in 2003.

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Atwater worked as a community leader for Memphis’ New Chicago Community Development Corporation and was a former nurse.

She is the owner of the Kukutana African-American History and Culture Museum of Memphis, which is located in the New Chicago neighbourhood north of the city’s downtown.

Atwater was a prominent opponent of the city’s growth strategy, claiming that it would gentrify the neighbourhood. Her objection also included a $10 billion lawsuit against the city of Memphis.

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Atwater, the operator of the New Chicago Museum, introduced a plan for New Chicago in 2018 to help stop gentrification and redistribute resources back into the community.

Her opposition to the city’s redevelopment plan was called into question because she is not a resident of the neighbourhood and instead lives in the suburban Germantown neighbourhood.

According to The Tennessean, Carnita Atwater does not consider herself a politician.

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The Memphis resident claims she has spent years fighting for her community, addressing “racial disparities, healthcare disparities, and economic equality.” Her activism, however, has taken a new direction as she vies for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in Tennessee’s Aug. 4 primary.

In the race, Atwater is up against Memphis City Council member JB Smiley Jr. and Dr. Jason Martin. Early voting begins on Friday. In the general election in November, the winner will face Republican incumbent governor Bill Lee. Lee has no Republican primary opponent.