Ava Holloway has found that a year of speaking up for the Black community changed her life in a big way.
Ava and friend Kennedy George went viral after posing in their ballet gear at the Robert E. Lee Monument in Virginia. They took that momentum and moved forward with the goal of helping Black and brown ballerinas feel more seen and realize their dreams are possible.
"Last year at this time, I wouldn't have imagined myself doing the things I've done. I would have never imagined me and Kennedy doing a Nike ad together," Ava, who was 14 years old when the photo was taken, told Inside Edition.
"It makes me feel great to know you can give back to the community and be who you really are and there are people who will support you."
Ava also worked with her mom to write a children's book, My Ancestors' Wildest Dreams. The cover depicts a Black ballerina in front of the Lee Monument.
"We all have a voice and we all have a responsibility to care for one another, regardless of how old we are," Ava's mom, Amanda Lynch, noted.
"I hope that as young people and adults read our book that that's the message that will be conveyed to them."
Ava has also worked with Kennedy, Shania Gordon, and Sophia Chambliss to form Brown Ballerinas for Change, their answer to bringing ballet to underrepresented communities.
"Brown ballerinas are change-makers," they said in a statement.
"We are dancer-led and our purpose is to use ballet to promote activism, social justice, and to increase diversity in the arts by providing annual scholarships, a mentor network, and community programs to empower young dancers."
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