Harris Welcomes the OGVP Office To Celebrate Community Violence Awareness Week

NATION: Earlier in the week, Vice President Harris held a meeting along with the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention (OGVP) hosted Community Violence Intervention leaders from across the nation. The Vice President and OGVP. engaged in the meeting to discuss matters associated with gun violence prevention in the United States.

By Michelle Crawford-Sapenter.

"The brilliance of this inaugural class and its leaders is the ability to see what can be, unburdened by what has been..."--Vice President, Kamala Harris

Meeting with Vice President Harris, the IGVP discussed the plans by the program to project to communities the efforts made for enduring Community Violence Intervention through the President's Safer America Plan.

"I congratulate everyone here and the graduates for all you have put into this and all you do for your communities."-- Vice President Kamala Harris

The city of Chicago provided information via the University of Chicago Crime Lab’s Community Violence Intervention Leadership Academy (CVILA), which provides Community Violence Intervention (CVI) leaders.

Harris stated that the best thing about the Chicago program has been proven through the city's efforts at reimagining how to arrive at the end of gun violence and then taking steps to make it a reality. Chicago continues to work at enduring gun violence is reduced as an example for cities across the nation.

A week of gun violence prevention programs are scheduled for the next 5 days and include:

Tuesday: a virtual convening of Black leaders from across the nation to discuss the unique impacts of gun violence on the Black community and the significance of evidence-informed and community-centered initiatives to disrupt violence

Wednesday: a virtual briefing with state legislators, local leaders, and gun violence advocates on the various community safety programs that are available through the Departments of Labor, Education, and Justice to support community violence intervention, ensuring all interested stakeholders have an opportunity to learn about the plethora of resources available to them thanks to President Biden’s American Rescue Plan (ARP) and the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), as well as other federal programs.

Thursday: Youth Violence Prevention AmeriCorps Site visit with OGVP Deputy Directors in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.

Friday: a national call with Black leaders to discuss the actions taken by OGVP and the President to reduce gun violence in Black communities.

Harris commented in regard to gun violence prevention efforts being made by Biden snd -Harris stating that the administration will "...continues to make major investments in community violence intervention and other proven solutions to end the epidemic of gun violence."