Before his untimely death, Nipsey Hussle planned to take a business plan for underserved neighborhoods to the nation’s capital. According to the Los Angeles Times, that meeting with politicians in Washington, D.C. aimed to serve as a gathering of the minds on how poor areas within the country could thrive within an initiative titled “Our Opportunity.”
Now, alongside the Congressional Black Caucus, Charlamagne Tha God and T.I. joined the meeting on Capitol Hill (May 23) to advocate for a proposal under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In a statement published by The Hill, T.I. amplified Hussle’s legacy.
“Everybody knows that Nipsey was pretty much the founder of the idea to bring everyone together who, you know, may individually be able to do great things and make a significant impact on their own in their communities,” T.I. said. “But for us to come together, we can impact so, so many more communities and spread our efforts so much wider.”
The program, as described by Hussle’s business partner David Gross, sought to place those in positions of influence in a lane where “majority black” cities could “acquire and develop transformative projects.” Part of the initiative aimed to place those dollars into the hands of residents. Hussle’s crowdfunding plan would allow residents “ownership stake” in projects that were established in their areas.
“I was excited when I learned of his interest in Opportunity Zones. And I’m saddened that we will never get to discuss our plans and vision for what this initiative could do to partner with and strengthen Nipsey’s already amazing efforts,” Sen. Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) said to the L.A. Times. “Opportunity Zones,” the bipartisan proposal also supported by Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), would offer massive tax breaks to those who plan to assist in revitalizing underserved communities.
