The year 2020 was aptly named. It was a year that many of us saw clearly, with 20/20 vision, as a turning point in our nation’s history. While the world was in the middle of a pandemic, racial tensions in the United States were at an all-time high. I, like so many others, was deeply affected by the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and other African Americans killed because of systemic racism. After these events, I wanted to do something and get into some “good trouble” in the footsteps of the late U.S. Congressman John Lewis. President Barack Obama once said, “Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek.” His words resonated with me and influenced me to make a positive impact in my community. Therefore, in March of 2020, I created Shape the Culture – a digital platform that features stories about the good things young people are doing across the country. I started it as a way to do my small part to help fight inequity and injustice in our society. Through Shape the Culture, I can be the change and make an impact, one story at a time. The young foot soldiers who marched the streets of Birmingham during the Civil Rights Movement were strong and courageous. As a young African American female from Birmingham, it is crucial for me to use my voice to speak up and stand up for what is right. Inspired by the young people who fought for justice and equality in the 1960s, I – through the Shape the Culture brand – hosted the “Be the Change” Unity Rally in Kelly Ingram Park, the same park where children were met with fire hoses and vicious dogs as they marched for justice and equality. The rally was a peaceful event, which was attended by students and parents from the Birmingham metropolitan area. Gwendolyn Webb, one of the young student leaders who participated in the Children’s Crusade, and public officials from the City of Birmingham also joined us. Together, we were able to let our voices be heard in support of racial equity. Because of the substantive content, I truly believe that Shape the Culture is becoming a movement. We have featured teens who are making a positive impact in their communities by creating voting initiatives, volunteering with important non-profit organizations, and participating in the arts. We also have tackled difficult subjects like the impact of racial injustice on the mental health of young people and the effects of police brutality on communities of color in an interview with Attorney Benjamin Crump. The digital platform, shapethecultureco.com, has been the primary way of delivering meaningful content, but our efforts continue to evolve. Our first documentary film – Shape the Culture: Youth Fighting for Equity, Then & Now – will be released this year.