Aly Conyers
Manning, SC Award Year: 2020Aly Conyers was 13 when she attended her first Black Lives Matter protest. At 17, after witnessing the video of George Floyd’s murder, Aly and her brother Ace, were compelled to act and drove to their hometown, Washington DC, where they worked with friends to stage a protest against institutional racism. Aly grabbed a megaphone and spoke on behalf of basic human rights for all. She and her brother have continued to urge action beyond protests, encouraging people to take their frustrations to the ballot box. Now at the University of California-Berkeley, Aly and her brother are working to set up an initiative with schools in South Carolina to work with local government leaders to create real change.
Aly used her award to help support a local nonprofit, I AM THAT GIRL, which mentors young girls, helping to transform self-doubt into self-love by providing a safe space to connect and have honest conversations about things that matter. She helped fund their Myrtle Beach trip, where she spoke to them about leadership, finding their voice, and the everyday challenges of what it is like to be a Black woman in a predominantly white setting.