ATLANTA — Vice President Kamala Harris arrived in Atlanta on Tuesday for a summit on gun violence and a Juneteenth political event.
She arrived at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport around 12:40 p.m. Then, she headed to the first event, Quavo's Rocket Foundation Summit.
On Tuesday, she participated in a moderated conversation about preventing gun violence with Grammy-nominated rapper Quavo Rocket Foundation Summit at the Carter Center.
The vice president opened the conversation with remarks against gun violence.
"It doesn’t have to be this way. We do not ever have to normalize. We need to understand that everyday gun violence is as serious as mass shootings," the vice president said at the event.
She furthered the conversation with her stance on the Second Amendment, reiterating her support for assault weapon bans, universal background checks and red flag laws.
“Assault weapons are designed to kill a lot of people quickly. There is no place for them in the streets," the vice president added.
The vice president also spoke about mental health, highlighting the importance of "understanding that was one of the symptoms of exposure to trauma-inducing things" and how it relates to gun violence.
Quavo founded the Rocket Foundation in 2022 following the death of his nephew, Kirsnick Khari Ball, who was professionally known as Migos member and rapper Takeoff. Ball would have been 30 years old on Tuesday.
He spoke during the conversation about his nephew's death.
“I’m a victim. I got a second chance. When I saw him (Takeoff) laying there, I just saw me laying there. When I started the Rocket Foundation, I wanted to keep his legacy alive," the rapper said. “Just seeing progress and seeing the support, and we got the vice president. We got all of y’all who went through something similar to me. Me being on this stage is very tough for me. At the end of the day, It’s been already like a year missing my nephew.”
Quavo visited Vice President Harris at the White House in September 2023 to raise awareness about gun violence and his organization. Following this visit, Harris founded and continues to oversee the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention.
Vice President Harris concluded the conversation by giving advice to the youth.
“Well, I will start with this. You were born a leader. For the young leaders that are here now, you have started. Our country needs you." she said.
This will be the vice president's second visit to Atlanta since Friday where she had a moderated conversation with TV host Steve Harvey at the 100 Black Men of America conference about economic opportunity.
Harris has spent much of her time in the White House focused on gun violence initiatives, including launching the National Extreme Risk Protection Order Resource Center.
She also attended a political event celebrating Juneteenth around 3:15 p.m., where she plans to give remarks. She plans to leave Atlanta a little after 4 p.m.
This will be the vice president's fifth visit to Georgia this year, and it will be her 14th visit since she was sworn in. She will attempt to emphasize the Biden administration's biggest initiatives leading up to the November elections.
