Takeoff’s mother condemns gun violence at the White House
The US is known for its gun issues, and many are aware of the statistic that highlights the nation has more guns than people. As a result, this has led to an extremely high number of firearm-related homicides across the country and Black Americans are over-represented when it comes to murders of this nature. From the death of Nipsey Hussle to Takeoff, over the years, many iconic MCs have had their lives taken by guns.
That said, Takeoff and Quavo’s mothers have decided to team up once again to take the issue all the way to the White House as they continue to battle the gun violence that has plagued hip-hop for decades.
In 2022, Takeoff was shot and killed at a public bowling alley in Houston, Texas, in the early hours of the morning. The main suspects were later both arrested and charged with murder and illegally carrying a firearm.
Following the emcee’s death, his family, alongside the remaining Migos members Quavo and Offset, set up Quavo’s Rocket Foundation, a charity dedicated to reducing gun violence and lowering homicide numbers. Recently, as they continued their fight, Titania Davenport (Takeoff’s mother) and Edna Maddox (Quavo’s mother) sat down for a discussion with White House’s Office of Gun Violence Prevention Deputy Director Greg Jackson to further their cause.
The panel discussion, which was named ‘Turning Pain Into Purpose: A Conversation On Gun Violence,’ heard the three speak about the pain that gun violence causes. Following the event, Greg Jackson took to social media posting a photo with the caption, “TakeOff should still be here, but his legacy lives on through the bravery and activism of his family!”
He continued, “Proud to stand alongside his mother and grandmother, as they made their first on stage appearance, hosted by Fortune Mag speaking on their loss, the Rocket Foundation and the urgency to #endgunviolence.”
The first meeting took place at the inaugural Rocket Foundation Summit in Atlanta on June 18th. As such, it has become an annual event which Jackson hosts. After the inaugural summit, Jackson took to X (formerly Twitter), writing, “I joined @QuavoStuntin for the first-ever Rocket Foundation Summit on Gun Violence Prevention. Quavo: Thank you for your courage, leadership, and for bringing us together for this critical conversation. Together, we continue our work to save lives and keep our communities safe.”
Last year, Quavo, his mother and Takeoff’s mother even took a trip to Washington DC, where the rapper passionately told publications, “We need to do better with the control of guns. We need to figure out how do we keep these types of incidents from happening to people going anywhere and thinking they can hurt somebody where it shouldn’t happen.”
The summit took place only a day after Takeoff’s Atlanta counterpart Lil Baby was cleared of a felony for gun charges.