The Rocket Foundation is an advocacy and grantmaking organization founded by rapper Quavious “Quavo” Keyate Marshall that is supports gun violence prevention and reduction in the United States with a focus on Atlanta, Georgia. ¹

Background

The Rocket Foundation was founded in 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia by Quavious “Quavo” Keyate Marshall, a rapper and actor. According to the organization’s website, Marshall founded the organization in response to the death of his nephew, Kirsnick “Takeoff” Khari Ball, by gunshot in Houston, Texas. Like Marshall, Ball was a rapper and a member of the rap group Migos, which the former co-founded. ²

Though the organization notes on its website that it has a “nationwide” mission to end gun violence, as of July 2024, the organization focuses its efforts on the city of Atlanta, Georgia due to its high prevalence of gun violence and its association with the organization’s founder and late nephew’s rap group, which had its beginnings in the city. ³

Advocacy

In September 2023, the Rocket Foundation’s founder Quavious Marshall met privately with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss gun violence. Later that month, he spoke on a panel during the Congressional Black Caucus legislative conference in Washington, D.C. alongside Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Rep. Lucy McBath (D-GA), and Greg Johnson of the Community Justice Action Fund regarding gun violence and related advocacy strategies. ⁴

Marshall and his co-panelists discussed the Break the Cycle of Violence Act sponsored by Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) on June 24, 2021, which was passed by the House and received in the Senate in September 2022. If passed, the bill would establish federal grant programs and related entities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to support gun violence intervention initiatives. ^{5 6}

For instance, the bill would establish within HHS an “Office of Community Violence Intervention” to administer programs and activities related to gun violence intervention, a “Community Violence Intervention Advisory Committee” to advise and assist the latter office, as well as a “National Community Violence Response Center” to provide training, technical assistance, coordinate research projects, and develop data collection policies related to the programs established by the legislation. ⁷

Other government figures with whom Marshall met in September 2023 according to reporting from Rolling Stone included Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE). ⁸

Grantmaking

As of 2024, the Rocket Foundation intended to award a series of ten grants of $10,000 each to nonprofit organizations focused on preventing and reducing gun violence in Atlanta, Georgia. ⁹

Past grant recipients of the Rocket Foundation, which the organization highlights on its programs page, include Community Justice, Live Free, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, and the Offenders Alumni Association. ^{10 11}

Financials

According to reporting from the Associated Press, the Rocket Foundation’s founder Quavious Marshall and his family made an initial commitment of $2 million to fund the organization’s work. ¹²

Leadership

Quavious “Quavo” Keyate Marshall is the founder of the Rocket Foundation. He is a rapper, singer, songwriter, and music producer. As a rapper, he is notable for his work with the Atlanta-based rap group Migos, which he co-founded, and as an actor, for his work on Atlanta, Ballers, Black-ish, Praise This, and Savage Salvation. In September 2023, it was announced that Marshall would serve under Vice President Kamala Harris as the deputy director of the then-newly established White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. ^{13 14}

1. “About.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/about
2.  “About.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/about
3. “About.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/about
4. Landrum Jr., Jonathan. “Quavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death.” The Associated Press. September 20, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/quavo-gun-violence-prevention-migos-takeoff-d381d99ce9bcbad1aea880f956e05590
5. “H.R.4118 – Break the Cycle of Violence Act.” Congress.gov. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4118
6. Gee, Andre. “Quavo Is Still Grieving Takeoff. He Went to Capitol Hill To Talk About It.” Rolling Stone. September 22, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/quavo-takeoff-congress-kamala-harris-1234829117/
7. “H.R.4118 – Break the Cycle of Violence Act.” Congress.gov. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/4118
8. Gee, Andre. “Quavo Is Still Grieving Takeoff. He Went to Capitol Hill To Talk About It.” Rolling Stone. September 22, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/quavo-takeoff-congress-kamala-harris-1234829117/
9. “Programs.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/programs
10. “Programs.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/programs
11. Gee, Andre. “Quavo Is Still Grieving Takeoff. He Went to Capitol Hill To Talk About It.” Rolling Stone. September 22, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/quavo-takeoff-congress-kamala-harris-1234829117/
12. Landrum Jr., Jonathan. “Quavo steps up advocacy against gun violence after his nephew Takeoff’s shooting death.” The Associated Press. September 20, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://apnews.com/article/quavo-gun-violence-prevention-migos-takeoff-d381d99ce9bcbad1aea880f956e05590
13. “About.” The Rocket Foundation. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rocket-foundation.org/about
14. Gee, Andre. “Quavo Is Still Grieving Takeoff. He Went to Capitol Hill To Talk About It.” Rolling Stone. September 22, 2023. Accessed July 22, 2024. https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/quavo-takeoff-congress-kamala-harris-1234829117/