Prom Dress Makes Profound Statement on Racist Violence

Instead of simply buying a prom dress from a department store or online retailer, high school senior Milan Morris wanted to make a statement with her formalwear.

Morris, 17, wore a dress emblazoned with the faces of Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice and other figures associated with the Black Lives Matter movement to a prom at Pahokee High School in Pahokee, Fla.

"Yes I'm black. Yes I'm 17. Yes God is using me to convey a message that's bigger than me," Morris captioned a photo of her dress on Instagram.

Since the prom on Friday, when Morris first shared a shot of the dress on social media, her political statement has gone viral, with rapper Snoop Dogg sharing a picture of the high schooler on his Instagram Sunday.

“Every life on this earth is precious. God created us all as gifts,” Morris told the Palm Beach Post in an interview. “When a mother loses a child or a child loses a parent, especially when it’s under unnecessary circumstances, their lives shouldn’t be overlooked.”

Local designer Terrence Torrance conceptualized the dress and designed it for Morris, prominently featuring a picture of Trayvon Martin.

“Trayvon, I remember that whole movement. It was the first time I can remember people coming together for someone killed that way,” he said. “I remember being in L.A. and wearing my hoodie for Trayvon.”

Trayvon Martin’s mother, Sybrina Fulton, later called Morris to praise the dress. “I just thought, ‘Wow, this is amazing,’” Morris said. “God is really using me for things that are bigger than me.”