Kamal Abdelrahman

How can a bunch of kids challenge a multibillion-dollar incarceration system and national immigration policy? It's simple, by being fearless. Ever since my first mural back in 2014, I learned that no progress is made unless someone is willing to take that first step. Someone had to be that spark in the cave that audaciously sparked the fire of enlightenment, so why not us?  

Being permissive does not get the job done. Society has progressed this far because individuals have led charges to improve the various aspects of society. We were all born with an innate responsibility to make the world a better place, especially at the expense of someone’s false sense of security.

Painting a mural will not end oppression, world hunger, and other issues plaguing our society. However, if it gets people sitting at the table to contemplate and initiate action, then we did our job. When we continue to stimulate these kinds of environments of proactivity, then it becomes an investment that everybody benefits.

When I get older, I plan to lead the charge for a better world. I want to leave behind a better world for succeeding generations to enjoy. It will not be easy, as I anticipate walls and barricades in various contexts. However, it would just make my successes much sweeter.