Exclusive interview with US Vice President Kamala Harris: “I feel at home in Atlanta”

The first Black vice president of the United States, Kamala Harris (above), sat down with The Atlanta Voice for an exclusive interview on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. Photo by Kerri Phox/The Atlanta Voice

United States Vice President Kamala Harris took a moment before taking the stage at the Rocket Foundation’s first annual summit to speak exclusively with The Voice of Atlanta about what’s at stake for Black Americans this election cycle, gun violence prevention and the continued fight for a universal assault weapons ban, and why she loves Atlanta as much as she does.

The vice president met The voice in the bowels of the Carter Center on Tuesday, June 18.

The Voice of Atlanta: Hello Madam Vice President, I came here today to talk to you about a number of things, including your leadership in gun violence awareness and prevention. We talk a lot about prevention, and then we have the mass shooting that took place at the Peachtree Center last week. What are we going to do about it?

Vice President Kamala Harris: We have a lot to do on this. First of all, I’ll start by saying that it doesn’t have to be this way. This is part of what we want to remind everyone, that this is not normal and that we should refuse to accept it as normal.

There’s a number of things we need to do about it, there’s what Quavo is doing here in Atlanta, which is turning his pain and his grief into something productive. There is the work we need to do to help communities that have experienced this gun violence and the trauma that comes from it. We need to help people achieve productive healing from their trauma.

A V: Because it doesn’t stop at the shooting.

KH: It is totally true. Trauma is an injury that is invisible to the naked eye, but can last a lifetime if not treated and healed. So it’s about diagnosing and treating trauma and encouraging people to know that it’s okay to talk about it. We need to let people know that this is a sign of strength.

A V: To what extent does voting and actively participating in the political process, both locally and nationally, play a role in this?

KH: The election has a lot to do with how we can solve the problem. Joe Biden and I are proud to be behind one of the first meaningful gun safety laws in 30 years. We still need assault weapons bans, we still need universal background checks, we still need whistleblowing laws and to achieve that we need members of the United States Congress who have the courage to take a stand. We’re not trying to take guns away from everyone. This is reasonable gun safety.

A V: What is at stake in this election for black voters? It’s still personal, but it seems more personal now.

KH: I think this is one of the most important elections of our lifetime. You look at this by asking yourself: Do we want to have a President of the United States who is focused on solving problems or on creating problems? Do we want a President of the United States who addresses the long-standing problem of the high cost of insulin for diabetic patients? Black people are 60% more likely to be diagnosed with diabetes.

A V: Especially in the south.

KH: (agreed) And most of them are in the South and too many of our seniors have had to make a choice between filling their prescriptions or stocking their refrigerator. We capped the cost of insulin at $35 per month for the first time. This is a game changer. This is something I would say to your readers, this is an elderly person, a grandmother, a grandfather or an aunt, so even if you are a young person, this affects the people you love in your life. It’s about understanding the solutions.

When people think about what’s at stake in this election, think about the kinds of decisions that Joe Biden and I have made, which are about seeing where people are and solving long-standing problems. Do you want that kind of approach or do you want someone who talks openly about how he’s going to use the Justice Department as a weapon against his political enemies? Someone who talks about how he’s going to be a dictator from day one and uses horrible words to describe African countries and the people from there.

A V: He also used horrible words to describe Atlanta.

KH: And to describe my hometown of Oakland, Detroit and Milwaukee. What do these cities have in common?

AV: They have a majority black population.

KH: As Maya Angelou tells us, listen to people when they tell you who they are.

A V: Has Atlanta and Georgia as a whole become the personal battleground state of the Biden-Harris administration? I’ve been covering you for years, but it feels like I’m covering you every week these days.

KH: I’ve been coming to Atlanta for years. I feel at home in Atlanta. Atlanta has always treated me like a girl from my first days coming here. There is so much history here. I don’t think there’s a black elected official who doesn’t feel that way when they come to Atlanta.

A V: Finally, why do you feel like the Trump campaign hasn’t come to Atlanta and talked to voters here in Georgia as much as you and President Biden have?

KH: I’m not trying to get into that head. But I will say this: no voter should be taken for granted. Part of the reason I come back to Atlanta is because I love Atlanta. It is important to recognize the people who live here and those who have always been leaders here. I travel all over the country because I believe we must earn the votes of the people. I don’t take any voter for granted. It’s a question of respect. If you respect the intelligence of voters, you understand that you have to earn that vote.

A V: I guess it’s not smart to just assume you’ll get the same level of support election after election?

KH: And don’t assume people will fall in love with okkey-doke.

A V: It’s like organizing a rally in the Bronx.

KH: Or go to a black church not on Sunday when the congregation is there.

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