image via @TaiylarStarrxo

Ball, a top student at a Chicago area high school, was refused entry to her prom as a result of a poem, “Dear Black Girls,” she had written and performed at her school’s talent show. The school’s administration took issue with the use of the word “nigga” in a spoken word piece that was meant to uplift and unite young black women and men.

Despite being a member of the National Honor Society and earning over $1 million in scholarships, Ball was told that she couldn’t attend her prom, and that a final decision regarding walking at graduation, was still pending.

“Prom is like a Cinderella thing,” Ball told Jet Magazine. “You think about it when you’re young, you wait for it and for it to be taken away from you, it’s very hurtful, especially from your school who you love so much.”

She tried to turn a negative into a positive by still appearing on the steps of the venue where the prom was being held and taking pictures with her friends and classmates.

Since news spread of Taiylar’s predicament, she’s received an outpouring of support on social media.

Taiylar will hear the final decision on whether or not she will be able to attend graduation today. Listen to “Dear Black Girls” below.