by Stacy Jackson
March 20, 2024
Quavo is handing out money for initiatives aimed at preventing gun violence.
Migos rapper Quavo has launched a new “SPARKS Grants” program in partnership with his Rocket Foundation.
The initiative aims to support organizations working to “build an ecosystem of gun violence prevention and reduction” in his native Atlanta. According to the foundation’s website, 10 grants of $10,000 will be distributed to support evidence-based initiatives with an existing program or aspirations to pilot a program to help the issue.
“I am honored to launch this grant program to honor Take and the countless families that have been affected by gun violence,” Quavo said, according to Variety. There is a lot of important work going on in ATL right now, and part of our mission is to uplift these organizations and support them to help save more lives.”
Applications for SPARK Grants open on March 20 and must be submitted by April 21. Winners will be announced on June 18, which will occur during Takeoff’s birthday and National Gun Violence Awareness Month.
The grant program comes after Quavo met with Vice President Kamala Harris through his and his family’s involvement in the Congressional Black Caucus last September in Washington, D.C. According to the foundation’s YouTube channel, The Rocket Foundation joined the Community Justice Action Fund for a day of advocacy to raise awareness on gun violence and propose community-driven solutions. “So much gratitude to the Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional leadership for your advocacy and for providing a platform for us and other lawmakers to talk on this issue,” the foundation wrote. During the same month, President Joe Biden established the inaugural White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, an effort placed under the supervision of Harris.
BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that in May 2023, Quavo raised $2,000,000 for The Rocket Foundation during his Huncho Day celebrity football game.
The “Walk It Talk It” rapper established his foundation in 2022 as a tribute to his group member and nephew, Takeoff, who lost his life in a shooting incident the same year.
