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Teen wears Black Lives Matter-inspired dress to prom

Posted at 6:08 PM, Apr 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-04-24 18:08:59-04

Milan Bolden-Morris wore a dress featuring pictures of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and others to her high school prom.

NEW YORK — A Florida teenager wore a dress featuring pictures of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and others to her high school prom.

“When someone loses a mother, father or child in unnecessary circumstances, it should not be overlooked but addressed,” 17-year-old Milan Bolden-Morris told CNN after she wore the dress to the Pahokee High School prom on Friday.

The dress was designed by Florida-based designer Terrence Torrence. The dress features pictures of 15 African-Americans who were killed in police-involved shootings, he said.

Milan Bolden-Morris wore a dress featuring pictures of Trayvon Martin, Sandra Bland, Michael Brown, and others to her high school prom.

“With all the killings that was going on, it just hit me one day: you should put that into a dress,” Torrence told CNN.

“I wanted to paint a picture and put a story out there through my fashion, and I wanted to show we could spread out message with not just posters and fliers but also with garments,” he added.

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Yes I'm black. Yes I'm 17. Yes GOD is using me to convey a message that's bigger than me. #AllLivesMatter❤️ #BlackLivesMatter #MoveWithPurpose @oprah @steveharvey.tv @beyonce @chrisbrownofficial @badgalriri @tylerperry @kolyon @terrencetorrence @champagnepapi @liltunechi @bigsean @richforever @colinsmith23 @aliciakeys @kendricklamar @realcoleworld @kingjames

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Milan Bolden-Morris asked Torrence to design her prom dress after he designed her cousin’s wedding dress.

“Yes I’m black. Yes I’m 17. Yes GOD is using me to convey a message that’s bigger than me,” Bolden-Morris wrote on Instagram.

Torrence said he is overwhelmed by the response to his design, saying it has been mostly positive.