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11-Year-Old Girl, ‘Sick of Reading About White Boys and Dogs,’ Starts Global Book Drive

Her efforts have both a specific goal and a broader aspiration.

Realizing that she wasn’t reading any books in school that spoke to her, 11-year-old dynamo Marley Dias started a book drive, #1000BlackGirlBooks, to source stories where black girls are the protagonist.

The goal is to collect 1,000 books by February 1 to be donated to a small school in Jamaica, from where her mother, Janice, hails. So far, Marley has collected about 400 books.


The project is part of an annual action she spearheads for her mother’s project, the GrassROOTS Community Foundation Super Camp for young girls. The foundation is organized to improve the lives and potential livelihood of economically challenged girls. Dias’ mother co-founded the organization in 2009 with the lead MC of the Roots, Tariq Trotter.

Marley Dias’ efforts have both a specific goal and a broader aspiration. “I’m hoping to show that other girls can do this as well,” Dias told PhillyVoice. “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.”

(Via PhillyVoice)

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