Marley Dias facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marley Dias
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Dias in 2019
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| Occupation | Activist, writer |
Marley Dias is an amazing American activist and writer. When she was just 11 years old, she started a big campaign called #1000BlackGirlBooks. Her goal was to collect 1,000 books that featured black girls as the main characters. She wanted to donate these books to other schools across the U.S.
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Marley's Early Life and Campaign
Marley Dias was named after the famous reggae singer Bob Marley. Her family has roots in Jamaica and Cape Verde. She was born in Philadelphia and grew up in West Orange, New Jersey. Her mother, Janice Johnson Dias, helped start the GrassROOTS Community Foundation.
Why Marley Started #1000BlackGirlBooks
When Marley was 11, she noticed something important. Most of the books she had to read for school were about white boys and their dogs. She felt like she couldn't choose what she wanted to read. Marley talked to her mom about this problem.
Together, they decided to do something to change it. Marley started a book drive called #1000BlackGirlBooks. She wanted to show how important it was to have more books with black girls as the main characters. Her goal was to collect 1,000 books.
The Impact of the Book Drive
The book drive focused on stories where black girls were the heroes, not just small characters. Marley's campaign quickly became very popular. In just a few months, she collected over 9,000 books! Many of these books were sent to a children's book drive in Jamaica.
Her campaign also made people think about how few diverse books there were for kids. Marley went to West Orange High School in New Jersey. She graduated in 2022. Today, she is attending Harvard University.
Marley's Other Exciting Projects
Marley Dias has done many other cool things besides her book drive. She has written her own book and appeared on TV shows.
Writing Her Own Book
In 2018, Marley released her own book. It's called Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!. Scholastic published it. The book shares her story and encourages other young people to make a difference.
TV Shows and Interviews
Marley has appeared on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore. She also co-hosted the Girls Can Do program. She even became an editor for Marley Mag, an online magazine sponsored by Elle.com. For Marley Mag, she interviewed famous people like ballerina Misty Copeland, director Ava DuVernay, and politician Hillary Clinton.
Hosting a Netflix Show
In September, Marley hosted her first Netflix show. It's called "Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices." Marley is both the host and a producer for the series. The show features books and talks about important ideas like identity, respect, justice, and taking action.
Many famous guests have appeared on her show. These include rapper Common, actor Lupita Nyong'o, comedian Tiffany Haddish, and singer Jill Scott.
Ambassador for Education
Since 2021, Marley Dias has been an Ambassador for the National Education Association's Read Across America program. This program encourages children and teens to read more.
Books
- Marley Dias Gets it Done And So Can You, Marley Dias, 2019
Awards
- 2017 - Smithsonian, American Ingenuity Award (Youth category)
- 2018 - Forbes, 30 Under 30
See also
In Spanish: Marley Dias para niños
