Lives Impacted: RuQuan Brown

“Proving the laws of nature wrong we learned to walk without having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping our dreams we learned to breathe fresh air.” Almost two decades later, the prophetic words of hip-hop artist Tupac Shakur still work to personify the concept of transforming tragedy into triumph. His words remind us of the revolutionary power of hope in a world that is troubled by pain and loss. As communities across the globe continue to struggle against adversity, we bear witness to the beautifully persevering ways in which people adapt to a new and unfamiliar world. This is especially true for communities of color. The pandemic has written itself into an ever-growing list of issues that further exacerbate the systemic inequities faced by BIPOC communities across the nation. An increase in disparities and tragedies, such as losing a loved one, financial instability, and lack of access to proper resources are not only byproducts of the COVID-19 pandemic, but are also root causes of another public health crisis that has been ravaging communities of color for decades: gun violence. As the world adjusts to this new normal, frontline advocates and community leaders are facing increased challenges as they attempt to push for safer communities on multiple fronts. We had the opportunity to interview one of these courageous changemakers and gain insight into his journey of advocacy and activism as a young Black man.

RuQuan Brown is a 19-year-old freshman attending Harvard University. He is also the owner of Love1, a small business he started with the goal of…