Game Changers: Marley Dias and the #1000BlackGirlBooks

HOT 97

26 Feb 201906:02

Summary

TLDRMarley Dias, a 14-year-old activist and founder of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign, emphasizes the importance of diversity and representation in literature for empowering Black girls. Her campaign, which began at age 10, has grown into a global movement advocating for diverse curriculums and books featuring Black female characters. Marley shares her journey, advice for young activists, and highlights her book, 'Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You,' which encourages kids to use their passions to drive positive change. She also discusses her involvement with the Grassroots Community Foundation and its focus on empowering young Black girls.

Takeaways

📚 Marley Dyess is the founder of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign, which focuses on increasing representation of Black girls in literature.
💪 She believes representation and diversity in books are essential for motivating children to read and feel connected to the characters.
🌍 The campaign has grown into a global movement, advocating for curriculums that represent diverse characters, especially Black girls.
📖 A resource guide with 1,000 books has been created to help people find and purchase diverse titles.
📝 Marley has written a book titled 'Marley Dyess Gets It Done and So Can You,' aimed at inspiring kids aged 10 and older to use their talents to create positive change.
🎬 Marley's friend Marsai Martin, an executive producer at a young age, has been a major supporter of the literacy tour and campaign.
👭 Her favorite book is 'Another Brooklyn' by Jacqueline Woodson, which she says encapsulates teenage friendship and has had a personal impact on her.
🎨 Marley encourages young girls to use their passions—whether in sports, arts, or other areas—to drive change and fight for justice.
🏆 She was named one of Time's 25 under 25, an achievement that she feels honored and excited about.
🌱 Marley’s work is supported by the Grassroots Community Foundation, which promotes the healthy development of girls, and they run programs like 'Super Camp' to teach leadership and empowerment.

Q & A

Who is Marley Dias?
-Marley Dias is a 14-year-old activist and the founder of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign, which focuses on increasing diversity and representation in children's literature.
What is the main goal of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign?
-The main goal of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign is to ensure that Black girls can see themselves represented in books, which fosters motivation, confidence, and engagement in reading.
Why does Marley believe representation in books is important?
-Marley believes that representation is crucial because it allows children to relate to the characters and stories, which motivates them to read and feel more connected to their own experiences and identities.
How has the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign grown over the years?
-The campaign has grown from Marley’s personal initiative as a 10-year-old to a global movement, including a digital resource guide of over 1,000 diverse book titles, along with various collaborations and projects.
What advice does Marley give to younger girls?
-Marley advises younger girls to be open about their frustrations and use their passions—whether it’s sports, art, or other interests—as fuel to create positive change in the world.
Who does Marley Dias admire as a game changer and why?
-Marley admires Marsai Martin, the young executive producer of the movie 'Little,' for her trailblazing work in Hollywood and her involvement in literacy initiatives, including a tour with the Obama White House.
What is Marley’s favorite book and why?
-Marley's favorite book is 'Another Brooklyn' by Jacqueline Woodson because it explores themes of friendship and adolescence in a way that resonates deeply with her. She also has a personal connection to the author.
What is the Grassroots Community Foundation, and how has it influenced Marley?
-The Grassroots Community Foundation is a public health and social action organization founded by Marley’s mother. It focuses on empowering girls to grow into healthy women, and it has supported Marley in her activism.
What programs does the Grassroots Community Foundation offer for young girls?
-The foundation offers programs like Super Camp, which helps young Black girls develop leadership skills and learn about community, balance, and personal excellence, following ancient Egyptian principles.
What is the purpose of Marley's book, 'Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You'?
-Marley's book serves as a guide for children 10 years and older to use their passions and talents to create positive change. It covers her personal journey and offers practical advice on activism.

Outlines

00:00

📚 The 1,000 Black Girl Books Campaign

Marley Dyess, a 14-year-old founder of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign, emphasizes the importance of representation and diversity in literature for children. She believes that seeing oneself in books fosters motivation to read and helps children relate to characters. The campaign has grown significantly over three years, starting from a personal desire for diverse books to leading a global movement advocating for inclusive curriculums. They have created a digital resource guide with a thousand book titles and published a book titled 'Marley Dyess gets it done and so can you'. Marley admires Marsai Martin for her work as an executive producer and her early support of the literacy tour. Marley's favorite book is 'Another Brooklyn' by Jacqueline Woodson, which she feels encapsulates the essence of teenage friendship. She encourages young girls to use their passions to fight for equity and justice, and she has been recognized by Time magazine's '25 under 25' list for her activism.

05:01

🌟 Empowering Black Girls through Leadership

Marley Dyess discusses the Grassroots Community Foundation and its Super Camp program, which focuses on developing leadership skills in young black girls. The program, founded by Marley's mother, teaches principles of Ma'at, an ancient Kemetic belief emphasizing balance, truth, order, and reciprocity. Over four weeks, girls learn to unlock their potential and develop 'black girl magic', or black girl excellence. Marley Dyess sees herself as a game changer and is committed to empowering black girls to become the best leaders they can be.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Representation

Representation refers to how different groups, particularly marginalized communities, are portrayed or included in media, such as books. In the video, Marley emphasizes the importance of black girls seeing themselves in the stories they read. She believes representation in books encourages readers to connect with the characters and feel more motivated to engage with reading.

💡Diversity

Diversity means the inclusion of different types of people, cultures, and experiences, especially those that have been historically underrepresented. Marley discusses diversity in books as crucial for ensuring that readers from various backgrounds can relate to the stories and characters, which fosters a more inclusive and relatable reading experience.

💡1,000 Black Girl Books Campaign

This is the movement Marley started to collect and promote books where black girls are the main characters. The campaign highlights the need for more diverse and representative literature, and it has grown into a global initiative, providing resources for educators, parents, and students to access diverse books featuring black girls.

💡Motivation

Motivation, in the context of the video, refers to the drive or desire to engage with reading or activism. Marley explains that seeing oneself represented in books can motivate young readers, particularly black girls, to feel empowered and excited about reading and their identities.

💡Activism

Activism is the effort to bring about social or political change. Marley positions herself as an activist who, through her campaign, advocates for diversity in children's literature. She encourages young people to use their passions and talents to create positive change, linking the concept of activism to making the world more inclusive and just.

💡Curriculum

A curriculum is the set of courses and content taught in schools. Marley argues for the inclusion of diverse characters, especially black girls, in school curriculums, believing that such representation will make education more inclusive and relatable for students of color.

💡Resource Guide

The resource guide is a tool created as part of the 1,000 Black Girl Books Campaign. It includes a list of books featuring black girl protagonists, allowing readers and educators to find and purchase diverse literature. The guide helps promote authors who write stories reflecting the experiences of black girls.

💡Black Girl Magic

Black Girl Magic refers to a movement that celebrates the beauty, power, and resilience of black women and girls. Marley’s work and the Grassroots Community Foundation's programs aim to inspire young black girls to recognize their potential and embrace their identities, contributing to this cultural phenomenon.

💡Grassroots Community Foundation

The Grassroots Community Foundation is an organization focused on public health and social action, particularly for girls. Founded by Marley’s mother, this foundation has played a critical role in supporting Marley’s campaign and leadership development, with a focus on empowering young black girls to grow into strong, confident women.

💡Super Camp

Super Camp is a leadership development program run by the Grassroots Community Foundation. It is aimed at young black girls and teaches them skills in leadership, community involvement, and personal development. Marley highlights this program as an important initiative that fosters black girl excellence and helps participants unlock their potential.

Highlights

Marley Dias is the founder of the 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign, which promotes diversity and representation in children's literature.

The campaign was started when Marley was just 10 years old, and it has grown into a global movement over the past three years.

Representation in books is important because it allows kids to connect with characters and feel motivated to read.

Lack of relatable characters can frustrate and demotivate children from reading.

Marley wanted Black girls to see themselves in books, which helps boost confidence, motivation, and pride in their own identities.

The 1,000 Black Girl Books campaign now includes a digital resource guide with a list of diverse book titles.

Marley published her own book, 'Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You,' which inspires young people to make a difference.

Marley highlights Marsai Martin, a teenage executive producer, as an inspiration for young girls of color.

Her favorite book is 'Another Brooklyn' by Jacqueline Woodson, which explores friendship and teenage experiences.

She encourages young girls to channel their frustrations into their passions to create positive change in the world.

Marley was named to the Time '25 Under 25' list, which was a significant and emotional moment for her.

The campaign aims to increase the number of books on its resource guide and develop an app to make these titles more accessible.

Marley's work is supported by the Grassroots Community Foundation, an organization co-founded by her mother, which focuses on the well-being of girls.

The Grassroots Community Foundation's 'Super Camp' program teaches leadership, community engagement, and cultural principles to young Black girls.

Marley emphasizes the concept of 'Black Girl Magic' and 'Black Girl Excellence' in her work, encouraging empowerment and leadership development.