Young Philadelphia Entrepreneur Raises Awareness for Black Lives Matter Through Clothing Line

ByAshley Johnson WPVI logo
Monday, July 20, 2020
Philly Teen Raises Awareness for Black Lives Matter Through Clothing Line
She may not be able to drive or vote, but that is not stopping a local girl from making a difference.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- She may not be able to drive or vote, but that is not stopping a local girl from making a difference.

"You can take off your uniform but I can't take off the color of my skin," is the signature quote of a young powerhouse, 13-year-old India Alston from Fairmount.

She's quite the entrepreneur taking a stand against police brutality on social media while promoting her T-shirts with racially conscious quotes. Her vision was sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

"Definitely seeing the video of George Floyd getting choked to death and having a police officer kneel on his neck like he's an animal and seeing all the protests and looting, I feel like this is a great time to say something - this problem is so big," India Alston said.

And boy does she have the ultimate endorsement: Philly's own superstar Will Smith - known as 'Uncle Will' to her.

"To have him be like, I'll do anything for you,' it just means the world to me," the aspiring actress said.

Her dad, Charlie Mack Alston, was the movie star's longtime bodyguard. These days he's happy to promote his daughter's mission.

"At the age that she's at we are shocked by the things she says. So from that point I'm always listening intently for things that she'll say," Charlie Mack Alston said.

"We are in danger every day just because our skin color and our skin color is not a weapon, it's just another color like any other," India said.

You can buy one of India's shirts online for $20 at quotesforjustice.com. She plans to donate the proceeds to the non-profit Inspiring Minds that provides opportunities for children of color.