Marsha Blackburn
U.S. Senator from Tennessee
Marsha Wedgeworth Blackburn was born in June 1952 in Laurel, Mississippi. She earned a B.S. in home economics from Mississippi State University. Her early career was in retail, including positions as retail fashion and special events director for a division of Mercantile Stores. She later became the owner of Marketing Strategies, a promotion-event management and image consulting firm.
She was appointed by the governor of Tennessee to be executive director of the Tennessee Film Entertainment and Music Commission. She served as a member of the Tennessee Senate for four years. In 2002, she was elected as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives where she served until her election to the United States Senate, where she assumed her seat in January 2019.
She is married to Chuck Blackburn, and they have two children. She is a Presbyterian. A former beauty-pageant winner, she is a member of The C Street Family, a prayer group that includes members of Congress.
In the News…
A bill being introduced in the Senate to make Juneteenth a federal holiday got the support of Senator Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee.
The holiday, which falls on June 19 each year, commemorates the day in 1865 when Union General Gordon Granger announced that all slaves in Texas were freed by order of the federal government.
The holiday has achieved new prominence this year following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Floyd’s death has also led to a national debate about race and policing, as well as a push for law enforcement reform.
“I really appreciate the fact that so many people have stepped up and said, ‘Let’s address this and let’s do something that is meaningful, thoughtful,” Senator Blackburn said.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Senator Blackburn today? You can let her know at:
The Honorable Marsha Blackburn
Senator from Tennessee
357 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
