Vice President Kamala Harris visited a beloved Black-owned restaurant in Atlanta, GA.
Harris is currently campaigning after she announced her interest in running to become the next president of the United States. If she succeeds, she will make history as the first Black woman and first South Asian American to do so.
Her first campaign stop was in Atlanta, GA, on July 30, 2024. According to PBS station WABE, this was her 15th visit to Georgia and her first as the presumptive Democratic nominee.
“The path to the White House runs right through this state,” Harris said in Georgia, per ABC News. “You all helped us win in 2020, and we’re going to do it again in 2024.”
While Harris made it her mission to energize Georgia voters, she also did the same for a local Black-owned business.
11Alive mentioned she visited Paschal’s Restaurant in Atlanta, GA. During her visit, she received a warm welcome from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, Representative Nikema Williams (D-Georgia), and Democratic U.S. Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock.
Launched by brothers James and Robert Paschal in 1947, the soul food restaurant found success thanks to its fried chicken recipe, per the company website. Paschal’s Restaurant’s menu items also include other Southern favorites, such as braised short ribs, smothered pork chops, and peach cobbler.
Harris now joins a list of notable figures in entertainment and politics to pay a visit, including Aretha Franklin, Andrew Young, former Vice President Al Gore, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., per its website.
“Today, we had the honor of welcoming Vice President Kamala Harris to Paschal’s! As a cornerstone in the heart of Atlanta’s history, Paschal’s has always been a gathering place for political leaders and civil rights icons,” the company said via Instagram. “It’s only fitting that Vice President Harris joined us today, continuing our legacy of hosting trailblazers and changemakers. Thank you, VP Harris, for your visit and for recognizing the significance of Paschal’s in the story of our nation.”
