a famous localized walk, and national dance fads into her big moment. Running through speaker-rattling, signature hometown cuts like Kendrick Lamar’s “Humble” and Tupac’s “California Love,” famed gymnast Nia Dennis scored a 9.5 (pushing the University of California to a win against Arizona State).
She was on fire—for a cause. Following the summer 2020 protests after the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd, she wanted to make her stance known.
A surgery prevented her from rallying but she was determined to contribute in a way that was meaningful to her. “[The] Black Lives Matter protests were going on and I actually just had a shoulder surgery during that time,” Dennis said to ESSENCE. “I wasn’t able to go to any of the protests, which was really weighing heavy on me.
So I really felt like I wanted to continue the fight and stand in another space.” Missy Elliott, Simone Biles, and former first lady Michelle Obama were among those that celebrated her effort.
Read more on essence.com