The mission of the Tennessee Justice Center is to use the law to advance economic, racial, and social justice by relentlessly working for and with Tennesseans seeking better lives for themselves and their neighbors.

TJC believes that every life is equally sacred, and our laws and public policies must reflect this truth. Poverty is the product of public policies that deny to some the equal opportunities America promises to all. When public policies create and perpetuate poverty by withholding essential healthcare, nutrition, and a chance at financial security, they blight lives and harm communities. Through skilled advocacy with partners who reflect the diversity of our state, we can reform those policies, improve lives, and make our beloved state a more just and inclusive home for all Tennesseans.

We help Tennesseans one-by-one and then take what we learn from their stories to advocate for large-scale changes that help others in the same boat. In addition to helping individuals, we use the law and advocacy to ensure that Tennesseans can meet their most basic needs and have a pathway to opportunity.

We work to protect and promote programs that are vital to children’s health by educating the community and mobilizing support for policies and practices that ensure that all of Tennessee’s children can thrive.

All Tennesseans should have access to nutritious food. Every Tennessean should have the food they need to lead a healthy, productive life. TJC works to keep nutrition programs, like SNAP and school meals, strong.

With the right supports, seniors and people with disabilities can live life on their own terms. We work to increase access to programs that provide this support to make the possibility of independence real.

TJC works to ensure that affordable health coverage is accessible to all Tennesseans by promoting policy solutions that would eliminate the barriers that prevent people from getting care. We also advocate against policies that would hurt Tennesseans’ health coverage or diminish their care. TJC has played an instrumental role in protecting the Affordable Care Act over the years, and our staff continues to work daily to convince state lawmakers to expand Medicaid in TN.

We focus relentlessly on protecting and improving the laws, policies, and programs that provide dignity and opportunity, including access to health care and food. We help individuals struggling to access these services, and we train healthcare providers, social service providers, and community leaders to ensure that those in their communities can get what they need.

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March 2025 Share the Plate: Tennessee Justice Center