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Kamala Harris Addresses Atlanta 100 Black Men Conference

Vice President Kamala Harris came to Atlanta on June 14 and spoke to attendees of the 38th 100 Black Men Conference as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour. The event, hosted by Family Feud host and comedian Steve Harvey, allowed Harris to start a conversation about economic opportunity.

According to a press release issued by The 100 Black Men of America, Harris’ appearance was not an endorsement of Harris or the Biden-Harris administration; rather, it was an opportunity to engage in a meaningful conversation about economic opportunity.

As Georgia Public Broadcasting reports, Harris’ remarks referred to opportunities

for minority-owned small businesses to secure venture capital investments, homeownership, and debt prevention, as well as policies advanced by the Biden-Harris administration that aim to help reduce the racial wealth gap.

“There are barriers built into the system that need to be overcome to give people this opportunity – and this is not a handout,” the vice president told the crowd in attendance. “It’s about giving people the opportunity to compete, giving hard-working people the opportunity to progress and not just get by.”

Harris’ trip to Atlanta marked the second time she visited the city as part of her Economic Opportunity Tour and she is scheduled to visit Atlanta again on June 18 to discuss gun violence. The previous trip in April, according to a White House fact sheet, highlighted a $158 million investment from the Biden-Harris administration.

awarded to Atlanta through its Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods program, the first program of its kind offered by the federal government. According to the fact sheet, The Stitch, the nickname given to the project, represents awarded infrastructure projects in 40 states.

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It is well documented that the invention of the American highway system led to the death of thriving black communities and neighborhoods. According to Deborah Archer, a civil rights attorney and law professor, “the interstate highway system constitutes a…physical realization of our racialized norms and values. Highways were built through and around black communities to physically solidify racial inequalities and protect white spaces and privileges.

According to the fact sheet, the Economic Opportunity Tour represents an attempt by the Biden-Harris administration to address and dedicate resources to this story. “The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods agenda is another way the Biden-Harris Administration is advancing economic opportunity. , while addressing the legacy of harm in communities that have struggled with decades of disinvestment or economic distress. The administration is focused on supporting economic recovery in communities across the country; particularly those that have suffered from decades of disinvestment.

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