For as long as I can remember, my art has been an extension of my personality and experiences, and the way I choose to express myself. When I was little, all I would ask for on my birthday would be art supplies, and I spent all of my time drawing and painting away. When I think about how long art has been a part of who I am, I think back to the weekend afternoons of my childhood, when I would grab my crayons, glitter, ribbon, and paper and make little gifts for the adults in my big family as they chatted and had their afternoon tea. It was how I showed my love and appreciation for them, and that love is what inspired me to keep going. All of my hopes, dreams, fears, and things I love and hold dear reflect in my art, and as a black Muslim in America, I've always had a lot to express. I still spend almost all of my free time drawing and painting, and now that I'm older and more aware of social issues and world problems, some of which affect me directly, I try to incorporate those issues into my drawings and paintings. For me, the main goal of creating art is to incorporate meaning and make something that has an effect on others or causes them to realize something about themselves or the world. As a black person, there have been instances throughout my life where I myself or people close to me have been treated unfairly because of our skin. When I hear about black people being killed just for "fitting the profile", just for the way they look, I feel so much pain and anger, and the way I deal with this is by making art. With these artworks, I tried to showcase the effects of systemic racism on black people and also explicitly document acts of protest. For example, In my pencil drawing of a black woman, I wanted to portray frustration. In my painting of a black boy sitting alone in the room he and his brother used to share, I aimed to show the effects of the loss caused by systemic racism. I also tried to represent a diverse array of black people because systemic racism affects all kinds of black people. In the midst of this ongoing fight against systemic racism and oppression, I believe that meaningful art is needed now more than ever. Throughout the ages, when artworks were created in times of struggle, they were meant to provoke thought within the viewers. More people need to be actively thinking about systemic racism, its effects, and how we can combat it. So by continuing to draw and paint, showcasing my art at art festivals around my state, and posting my drawings and paintings on social media, I hope to be able to contribute to the conversation and help people who don't believe systemic racism exists see that it does and how it continually impacts black people in America in almost all aspects of their lives, both directly and indirectly. That way, we can form a united front against systemic racism and fight for a country that is just to all of its citizens.