The Boxcar Children, James and the Giant Peach, The Giver, Where the Red Fern Grows… For many, what comes to mind when seeing these classic children’s book titles is an elementary school classroom or a dreaded book report. The titles themselves are instantly familiar to many, but for many young students, the (exclusively white) characters within are not. Recently, 11-year-old Marley Dias of West Orange, New Jersey decided that she was fed up with reading about “white boys and dogs” and that it was time to do something to change that.
Marley Dias, age 11, the mind behind #1000BlackGirlBooks (Andrea Cipriani/NJ.com.)
With her mother’s support, Marley began a book drive for #1000BlackGirlBooks in an effort to find titles that spoke to her experience and contained characters that she could identify with. She is trying to compile a collection of 1,000 books with black female protagonists and support is pouring in on Twitter and other social media sites. From book title suggestions, to children’s authors mailing copies of their own works, to monetary and book donations, the Internet seems to be on Marley’s team.
After the drive is over Marley and her mother, Janice Johnson Dias, the president of GrassROOTS Community Foundation (which is sponsoring the drive), will deliver the books to a library in the rural Jamaican community where Dr. Johnson Dias grew up.
The task is a big one, but it’s loaded with importance. “For young black girls in the U.S., context is really important for them—to see themselves and have stories that reflect experiences that are closer to what they have or their friends have,” Dr. Johnson Dias told The Philly Voice about the project’s significance.
Thank you for investing in girls. #1000BlackGirlBooks #400moretogo @blackthought @MaxwellDreamer @blackdoctor pic.twitter.com/VTE9WBKgc7
— GrassROOTS (GCF) (@GrassRootsFound) January 25, 2016
Representation in media has become an increasingly addressed topic, especially as the film industry struggles to include non-white voices in overwhelmingly white award nominations. At 11 years old, Marley is already taking huge steps to create space for black voices, and she’s only getting started. Marley’s awareness and determination to take action where she sees the need are a strong example for society as a whole, but for the drive’s founder it is especially important for her peers to see. “I’m hoping to show that other girls can do this as well,” Marley said. “I used the resources I was given, and I want people to pass that down and use the things they’re given to create more social action projects — and do it just for fun, and not make it feel like a chore.”
Grab a book & join us.Monday. #Lingelbach School. 9am. Day of service & book fair. #1000blackgirlbooks @blackthought pic.twitter.com/RGP8OjEq73
— GrassROOTS (GCF) (@GrassRootsFound) January 15, 2016
For more information, see the GrassROOTS Community Foundation’s website here.