For Marley Dias, Founding #1000BlackGirlBooks Was Just the Start
“The biggest thing about #1000BlackGirlBooks founder Marley Dias is that her demographic—being a young black girl—is often seen as the beneficiary rather than the architect of philanthropic efforts,” says author and activist Blair Imani. “And that’s what makes her unique.”
The 15-year-old Dias launched her initiative, which collects and donates books with black female protagonists to young readers who might not otherwise see them, in 2015. Since then Dias, now a published author herself, has donated more than 10,000 books around the world and has become a regular on the speaking circuit—even appearing alongside Michelle Obama at the White House.
“Marley has been able to carve out a niche for herself, and you forget how young she is until she starts talking,” Imani says. “I see some of myself in her, but more than that I see what it means for young people to shoot the moon with the knowledge they can.”
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