Congressional School Blog

A Moment in Black History: Marley Dias

Written by congressional | Feb 12, 2021 1:49:25 PM

Young People Who Were Change Makers

By: Edwin P. Gordon, PhD, Head of School


Photo Credit: Andrea Cipriani Mecchi, Published by NPR

 
Who
When Marley Dias was 11, she couldn’t keep her nose out of a book—but she was frustrated with reading story after story about boys that did not feature kids of color. In an interview with NPR, Dias explained how that frustration inspired her to start the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, aimed at finding 1,000 books with black girls as protagonists. 
 
What

The #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign collects and donates books and works with educators to discover and promote more diversity in reading.

To date, Dias has collected over 9,000 books. She told Forbes, “I’m working to create a space where it feels easy to include and imagine black girls and make black girls like me the main characters of our lives.”

Marley Dias used her love of reading and determination to change the content of books for children. She is this week’s Black History Month’s Changemaker. 

 
 
Marley's Recommended Children's Books

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
Age level: Grades 6-8

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia
Age level: Grades 3-5

President Of The Whole Fifth Grade by Sherri Winston
Age Level: Grades 3-5

Please, Baby, Please by Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee and Kadir Nelson
Age level: Ages 2-5

Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Age level: Grades 5-8

 

 

 

 

 

Edwin P. Gordon, PhD

Head of School

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