Vice President Kamala Harris made a significant appearance in Atlanta on April 29, kicking off her Economic Opportunity Tour. During the event, she addressed a packed room of hundreds of Black entrepreneurs and lawmakers moderated by Earn Your Leisure’s Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings.
The nationwide economic opportunity tour prioritizes the rectification of historical injustices. Central to her discussion was the importance of fostering wealth within Black communities and closing the persistent racial wealth gap.
Harris highlighted the collaborative efforts between herself and President Joe Biden to bolster underserved communities through key legislative initiatives such as the Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS and Science Act. Notably, Harris emphasized the administration’s commitment to supporting minority-owned small businesses and alleviating the burden of student loan and medical debt.
“We have to bolster the economic resilience of our entire community, as everyone stands to benefit. True investment in the strength of our nation requires a steadfast focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Harris said.
The visit also shed light on future projects like “The Stitch” project, aimed at connecting Midtown to Downtown Atlanta. The initiative recently secured approximately $158 million in federal funding and is slated for completion by 2029.
“We are injecting substantial funds into communities across America for growth,” Harris said. Ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities stemming from the contracts and projects generated by these policy initiatives.”
Furthermore, Vice President Kamala Harris’ Atlanta trip brought her to the Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs. Here she spoke about the efforts to enhance homeownership affordability for those in need.
Harris acknowledged the decline in Black homeownership to historic lows in 2023, and stressed the importance of fostering public-private partnerships and innovative solutions to address housing demand, including increasing real estate supply and revising zoning regulations.
However, despite such initiatives, concerns persist among some Atlanta residents regarding the current economic climate. Jasmine Drummond expressed her frustrations with rising living costs. “The cost of living is too high, gas, groceries. I feel like prices are just going up and up. I don’t think President Biden has really made an impact how I was expecting him to. I was expecting a little more, so I’m kind of a little disappointed,” Drummond said.
Meanwhile, Quimer Carson advocated for a higher minimum wage and urged the Biden administration to do more to alleviate financial strain on ordinary Americans.
“It’s ok at the moment, but inflation is killing us as far as citizens and the economy right now. I feel we could do better with job income,” Carson said.
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