A Reuters photographer saw the young Black dancers standing proudly
en pointe in front of the graffiti-laced statue; they were wearing black tutus and raising their fists in a symbol of strength. She asked if she could take their picture, and when Reuters posted the photo to social media, it went viral. Fast.
The image almost instantly became an iconic photo of the Black Lives Matter movement, with celebrities retweeting it and national publications such as Vanity Fair and Vogue running the photo with stories on the Confederate statues and Black Lives Matter.
Kennedy and Ava suddenly found themselves in a position to be a voice for change. And they decided to use it.