Atlanta rapper Kenny Mason is why I want to change the world. The southern rap rock fusion of ‘U In A Gang // Exxon’ from Kenny Mason gets me hyped for the inevitable collapse of the capitalist status quo, and here is why. Atlanta is a thriving cultural hub with the most prolific history and influence on social justice and activism in the entire country. John Lewis, Hank Aaron, Stacey Abrams, and Ralph Abernathy made positive impacts on the world via their respective mediums, leading me to believe that Atlanta has something in the water that cultivates brilliant minds. Kenny grew up in a rough Atlanta neighborhood, accustomed to violence at an early age and was himself a victim of gun violence. His resiliency produced an amalgamated sound of experimental rock and hip hop that is the culture that propels me toward the major of Culture & Politics. My mom is why I want to change the world. My mom was raised in a poor, Stockton, CA neighborhood that she often points to as a reminder of my class privilege. After bouncing around uninspired waitress jobs, she earned a degree at Georgia State University in her thirties as a first-generation college graduate. Juggling work, motherhood, and studies, she was engaged in social activism and felt compelled to involve me. The vibrant opportunities in Atlanta allowed me to actively participate in protests, chanting and holding signs in the street. As a middle-schooler, I stumbled upon 'We Should All Be Feminists' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on my mom's nightstand. This book challenged the toxic narratives surrounding feminism prevalent in my social circles. It initiated a process of unraveling in my brain, deconstructing my thoughts on gender tropes and sexuality. The metaphorical trolley problem encapsulates why I want to change the world. While I could discuss global issues like the state of the Arctic in relation to international politics, nuclear weapons dynamics, and climate change atrocities, getting people to care about distant problems is challenging. Personally, it makes more sense for me to focus on Atlanta's Cop City. My deep connection to Atlanta's culture, combined with my mom's influence on sociopolitical awareness, makes the city's pain my own. The Cop City project threatens to use 381 acres of formerly native land to construct the largest police training facility in the U.S., militarizing the police and endangering communities. Every society has its metaphorical trolley problem: the classic philosophical issue of pulling a lever to kill one person on train tracks to stop the train from hitting five people. Our default is set to killing five people, because we are born into systems of oppression that prevent us from recognizing our shared humanity. Those of us who see global capitalism propagating traditions of imperialism and colonialism protest, volunteer, and organize to minimize our contribution, to flip the switch to kill just one person. I am pursuing an education of how culture interacts with politics to become a person of influence, to raise awareness and inspire others to push back. I aspire to be a leader shaping a future that doesn’t demand anyone to sacrifice themselves on the tracks. I believe that collectively, we can put a stop to the metaphorical train hurtling towards injustice.