Today in Black Excellence: Marley Dias, Founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks, Activist, Author, and Avid Reader

“In order for us to be the change we wish to see in the world, we must see ourselves first—in fact and in fiction.”

—Marley Dias

What is #1000BlackGirlBooks?

Launched by Marley in November of 2015, #1000BlackGirlBooks is an international movement to collect and donate children’s books that feature Black girls as the lead character.

After complaining to her mother that her school’s mandatory reading was about white boys and dogs, the precocious ten-year-old decided to start a book drive. She started #1000BlackGirlBooks to bring more attention to literature featuring Black female protagonists and collect 1,000 books to donate to Black girls in other schools. Her inspiring story went viral, and she was able to collect over 12,000 books.

What has Marley been up to?

Nothing much, really! In 2017 Marley was awarded the American Ingenuity Award by the Smithsonian, and in 2018 she was one of the youngest people ever to be featured on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. She wrote and published Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!. She has continued her work in equity, inclusivity, and social change in literature, recently partnering with Netflix to create Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. *wipes brow*

Original portrait by Tumblr Creatr @macaroon22

“It was a joy to work on this piece. Marley Dias advocates for a cause that is very near and dear to my heart. It is so important that black and BIPOC girls and boys see themselves represented in the media that they consume, and are shown that representation truly matters.”