Barbara W. Cooper Of Shelby County
Memphis, Tennessee 38109
Date of Birth: 08/04/29; Marital
Status: Widowed; Children: 3 Children; 3
Grandchildren; 4 Great-grandchildren;
Occupation: Retired Educator, Community
Relations Specialist and Parent Coordinator;
Political Preference: Democrat; Religious Preference:
Catholic; Education: Ph.D., Religious
Philosophy and Christian Psychology, Jacksonville
Theological Seminary; M.Ed., Tennessee
State University; 45 hours post Graduate, Curriculum
and Instruction, University of Tennessee;
B.S., Tennessee State University; Graduate
of Manassas High School, Memphis, Tennessee;
Organizations and Affiliations: Downtown
Memphis Commission Board; Memphis Area
Association of Governments Board (MAAG);
Memphis Cotton Makers’ Jubilee; Bi-Centennial
Coronation Ball; MLK50; WC Handy Park;
Southbrook Centre Project Super Learning
Class; Friends of T.O. Fuller Park; Books and
Breakfast; American Dream Community Neighborhood
Blast-Off; S/W Forum on Taxes; Thirteenth
Documentary Cultural Awareness; Neighborhood
Clean Up in Public Safety; Transportation:
A Way out of Poverty; Tennessee State
University Alumni; Shelby County Democratic
Women; Will Pacesetter, Social Action
(St. Augustine Church); NAACP; Women In
Government; Past President, Tennessee Community
Education Association (TCEA); Former
Member, Memphis Area Teacher’s Credit Union,
Elected to Serve on the Credit Committee;
Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee;
National Black Caucus of State Legislators
(NBCSL); District 86 Advisory Council;
Southwest Community Education
Advisory Committee; Education Leadership
Council; Committee Co-Chair, One and One
Half Cent Sales Tax Funding for Education
sponsored by the NAACP/Memphis Education-
Association; Co-Convener, African American
People’s Organization; National Council of
Negro Women, Shelby County Section, SAC
Chair; Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators,
Former Chair; Former Secretary, Democratic
Caucus; Cooper/Jones Initiative; Citizens for
Better Service; Tennessee Dispensing Opticians
Association; Tennessee Tourism Roundtable;
Kennedy Democratic Organization (KDO);
Shelby Forest Community Forest Oak Drive
Civic Club, 2003; Save-A-Student Leadership
Training Conference, 2008; CIO Labor Council;
TSU Alumni, 2007; Sierra Club, 2010; Bloomfield
Baptist Church Summer Youth Program,
2009; Equal Education Opportunity Group,
2012; Tennessee Voter Connection; Fair Break
Federal Credit Union. Honors and Awards:
Memphis Shelby County Schools Induction Hall
of Fame, 2019; BURE Honoree “Outstanding
Educators of the Month Award”; International
AFL/CIA Kellogg International – National
Conference; TEA – Most Support for Teachers
2014; MAAG – Legislator of the Year; Shelby
County Legislative Chair; Outstanding Service,
St. Augustine School; Magnolia Transportation,
Outstanding Civic Work; WAND/WILL Pacesetters,
2001; The Spirit of Kwanza Award,
2007-2008; Memphis Women of Stamina National
Spokespersons, September 2010; AKA, Extra
Special Politician, 07-10; Leadership Award,
Tennessee, 2005; Citizens for Better Service,
2010; Legislator of the Year, 2011; Top Ladies
of Distinction, 2012; Cool-Out Saturday Recognition
Award, 2012; Lois M. DeBerry Advocacy
Award, 2020; Links, Nashville Service, 2021;
Nationa Coalition of 100 Black Women; Distinguished
Elected Official, Alpha Kappa Alpha
Sorority, AKA Day on Capitol Hill, 2021;Previous
Service: Local Government Committee;
Shelby County Delegation, Secretary; Secretary,
House Government Operations Committee,
102nd and 103rd General Assemblies; Former
Member, House Children and Family Affairs
Committee; Member, House Family Justice
Subcommittee; Former Member, House Finance
Committee; Former Member, House Transportation;
Former Chair and Vice-Chair, Government
Operations; Former Member, House Education
Committee; Former Member, House Higher
Education Committee; Member: 100th, 101st,
102nd, 103rd, 104th, 105th, 106th, 107th, 108th,
109th, 110th, 111th and 112th General Assemblies;
Counties Represented: Shelby County—
86th Representative District.
Cooper Of 38109
Date of Marital
19