Ava DuVernay and Autumn Riley

Ava DuVernay is a Californian born in Long Beach, California on 24 August 1972. As a child DuVernay's Aunt Denise was a great influence on her enthusiasm for artistic expression and creative thinking. She was a night nurse to allow her mother the time she needed during the day for the love of literature, art as well as theatre. DuVernay was introduced to the 1961 movie West Side Story by her aunt. DuVernay realized that art could be an effective tool for promoting activism. DuVernay was trained by her mother, who had a social conscience and encouraged DuVernay to show her creativity through art. DuVernay was born in Compton with her parents however, she spent her summers in Lowndes County Alabama. This is where DuVernay's father's family has been for generations. The father of DuVernay's mother recalled protests for civil rights that took place across the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the Selma town that was nearby, Alabama. The summers DuVernay spent there would later inspire her to direct a movie about The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as well as the Civil Rights Movement. DuVernay received her Saint Joseph High School diploma in Lakewood California. In the year 1990, she was a graduate of Saint Joseph High School in Lakewood California. DuVernay began producing television news when she was just a young student. She began her career as an intern with CBS News, during the O.J. Simpson trial. DuVernay was told to take a look at the junk from a home belonging to a jury member. After being disappointed in journalism by the tasks she was assigned she decided to pursue an interest in public relations. DuVernay began her professional career as a junior public relations assistant at a small film studio, right after graduating from college. The DuVernay Agency is her first public relations agency. In addition to PR, the company has created lifestyle networks and promotions, like the Urban Beauty Collective. Autumn Riley.............................Autumn Riley was born in Los Angeles United States. Autumn Riley's birth sign is . She is a performer, well-known for her roles in American Experience (1987) and A More Perfect Union (2009). Autumn has appeared as Rose, on the screen in A More Perfect Union (2009) and Anna Payne, in American Experience (1987).