'Black-ish' star Tracee Ellis Ross pairs with Kelloggs to show women true beauty

NEW YORK (WABC) -- One of the stars of ABC's "Black-ish" is hoping to inspire young women to realize that true beauty doesn't come in a hairstyle, outfit or body type.

Tracee Ellis Ross is the daughter of Diana Ross and just finished shooting season 2 of the hit show, which has already been renewed for a third season, in Los Angeles. But now Ellis Ross, who plays the mother of the family, is free to be in New York City this week for her exhibit of photographs featuring strong women like her.

"My real middle name is Joy, and I feel this really captures so much of who I really am," she said.

The exhibit, called Strong is the New Pretty, defines beauty as being yourself 100 percent, and each image has a quote from those depicted.

"Sam is my eighth grandchild," she said. "The gift of Sam has put me much more in touch with what family really is."

The photo session with Kate T. Parker is a return to Ellis Ross' roots as a model.

"I personally chose to move out of modelling because I had such a voice, and I don't mean a singing voice," she said. "I had things I wanted to say."

And in "Black-ish," she gets to say plenty.

"We explore all different topics and sort of pull them apart," she said. "And I think that's really a lot of what this campaign and this project is about is sort of pulling apart this idea of beauty."

The exhibit is part of the launch of a new cereal.

"That Special K is doing that was a really easy and wonderful fit for me," she said. "Really, this message of recognizing and celebrating women."

Her mother, of course, is one of the most celebrated women of Motown, so it's no surprise that Diana Ross inspired her children to trust their instincts.

"Know what your dreams are," Ellis Ross said." Identify those for yourself, and keep moving on that path towards those things...I was very blessed to have a mother who not just spoke those things to us as kids, but also lived them."

Now, Ellis Ross has stepped out from under the legend's big shadow to forge her own identity, which is rare among children of celebrities.

"I get to blossom," she said. "And become more of myself as I get older."

Ross has won half a dozen Image Awards from the NAACP for her role on "Black-ish" and the long running series "Girlfriends."