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Belle Glade teen wears Black Lives Matter prom dress

Posted at 7:53 PM, Apr 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-25 05:13:36-04

Milan Bolden-Morris, 17, knew friends would talk about her unique prom dress, but she didn't think it would explode on social media.  Even celebrities like Snoop Dog took notice.

Milan said, "I know a lot of people wanted to know why I wore the dress."

 

She says her dress designer, Terrance Torrance, approached her about wearing a Black Lives Matter dress that included a picture of Trayvon Martin on the front.

"He said, 'Look, I have this idea. I want you to convey this message for me. I want you to help me out.' I felt it was a vital issue," said Milan.

The teen told NewsChannel 5 the message is one of peace, not violence.

"All lives matter and when anyone loses a family member or a child close to them, when it happens under unnecessary circumstances, it's not fair," she said.

Her phone was constantly ringing on Monday with calls from friends and strangers. Trayvon Martin's mother even called to thank her.

Milan said she hopes people understand her message is not to respect just black lives, but all lives including police lives.

"They protect us everyday. I have family members that are in law enforcement, and I do not want them to be looked down upon because of this. I feel that they are needed," said Milan.  

The mission is clear.

"God created everybody on this Earth to be loved. All of this was with good intentions. I wanted to convey this message, and I was proud and blessed to be able to do that," she added. 

Milan is a senior at Cardinal Newman but attended the prom with a date at Pahokee High School.  She says she plans to attend Boston College on a full basketball scholarship and wants to be an orthopedic surgeon.