In my earlier middle school years, I very much took a liking to the music of Tupac Shakur. I liked his music not because of his encouragement of gang violence or disrespect for police, but because Tupac was a complex individual who realized and commented heavily on the importance of social justice in minority communities. In fact, the gravity with which he spoke about these problems resonated strongly in my own life; at the time, I attended an underfunded middle school, the majority of whose students (including me) were all too familiar with poverty. Although I am grateful to now live in more fortunate circumstances, you can still hear the shrill voice of Tupac Shakur – however confused – on repeat on my old iPod shuffle, serving to remind me of the gravity of social issues of the past.