Source: Shannon Finney / Getty
On Sept. 20, Quavo paid a visit to Capitol Hill with a “call to action” to prevent gun violence during the 52nd Annual Legislative Conference.
Joined by his sister Tatiana Davenport–the mother of his late nephew Takeoff— the former Migos rapper met with Vice President Kamala Harris, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and several other powerful political figures to address the gun violence epidemic plaguing America, according to the Associated Press and TMZ.
On Wednesday, the “Versace” rapper spoke on a panel alongside Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Rep. Lucy McBath that tackled “community intervention strategies, the battle with gun violence and the power in advocacy,” AP noted.
Quavo launched the Rocket Foundation to address gun violence.
After the shooting death of Takeoff in November 2022, Quavo, 32, launched the Rocket Foundation, a program that provides support and financial aid to organizations committed in the fight to end gun violence. So far, the Rocket Foundation has partnered with four organizations, including the Atlanta based non-profit H.O.P. E Hustlers, which provides mentorship and resources to at-risk youth in the city.
On Wednesday, Vice President Kamala Harris applauded the rapper for using his voice to take a stand against gun violence.
Speaking with AP, Quavo shared why it was imperative for him to become an agent of change.
“You don’t think nothing is going to happen,” the Atlanta emcee said. “I need to step up to the plate and hit a homerun. I have to do something about it, so it won’t happen to the masses — especially in our culture. I don’t want this to happen to the next person. I want to knock down these percentages.”
Takeoff, real name Kirshnik Khari Ball, passed away after an altercation ended in gunfire at a Houston based bowling alley allegedly due to a high stakes dice game. Quavo was with the 28-year-old rapper when he was fatally shot.
In June, Takeoff’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the bowling alley where he was shot. According to the suit, Davenport accused the bowling alley of not providing “sufficient security” and screening when her son visited the establishment last year, NBC News noted.
The grieving matriarch is seeking over $1 million in damages and compensation for “loss of earning capacity.”
A gun violence bill was introduced to the House in 2021 and passed a year later.
In 2021, Senator Cory Booker, Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester and Rep. Steven Horsford introduced the Break The Cycle of Violence Act, a bill that would invest $5 billion into evidence-based anti-violence programs and provide workforce training to break the cycle of gun violence.
The bill passed through the House in September 2022 and is still awaiting approval from the Senate.
“We need to focus on preventing crime before it ever starts. And that is exactly what my Break the Cycle of Violence Act will do,” Congressman Horsford told his peers on the house floor after the bill was pushed to the Senate by a vote of 220-207.
“My bill invests $5 billion in anti-violence programs and $1.5 billion to provide workforce training and job opportunities for opportunity youth ages 16-24. This money invests in proven, community-based violence intervention programs to build safer communities. This is about saving lives and preventing crime – and our constituents are counting on us to get this done.”
SEE ALSO:
White House Mourns Takeoff’s Death, Condemns Gun Violence: ‘Enough Is Enough’
