Charles is a lifelong Kentuckian, born and raised in the West End of Louisville where he and his wife Tanesha have raised their 3 daughters. After earning his B.S. and JD from the University of Louisville, Charles went on to dedicate his life to public service. He has fought for equity and justice in every level of government, including being elected to the Kentucky House of Representatives in 2018 as the youngest Black Kentucky state legislator in nearly 90 years . Charles rose to national prominence in 2020, following an improbable, people-powered run in the Kentucky U.S. Senate Democratic Primary . In 2022, Charles led his historic grassroots movement in another run for U.S. Senate, becoming the first Black Kentuckian to receive a major party nomination for the office. Charles is a published author of the noted memoir “From the Hood to the Holler”, founder of Hood to the Holler, and now leads organizing efforts as Director of Governor Beshear’s Office of Faith Based & Community Initiatives.