Odessa Kelly was born and raised in Nashville. Kelly believes that our immigrant brothers and sisters deserve the right to seek a better life in America, but policies that criminalize immigrants and tear families apart have tarnished that dream. After nearly 14 years working as a civil servant, Odessa had seen how political neglect and policy failure had hurt her community. She had seen how young people at her community center were racially profiled, how gentrification pushed out residents with the deepest ties to the community, and how even those with good jobs were struggling to make ends meet. In 2016, Odessa founded Stand Up Nashville and took on big fights for racial and economic justice. When Nashville city officials granted a billionaire $275 million to build a soccer stadium, Odessa fought for a legally binding agreement to help the people most impacted by the project, ensuring  $15.50 an hour pay for stadium workers, accessible childcare facilities, and on-site affordable housing. Odessa is a mother of two, member of the historic Mount Zion Baptist Church, and proud Union member of SEIU Local 205. If elected, Odessa will be the first openly gay Black woman in Congress.