Black History Month Feature: Marley Dias

Equity, inclusion and representation of Black people are necessary to a more connected and uplifted society. During Black History Month, we not only acknowledge the historical accomplishments that have contributed to Black history, but we also amplify Black voices speaking their truth and advocating for change, such as Marley Dias.

Marley Dias has taken action against racial injustice since 2015. At 16 years old, Dias has become an activist, an author, a girl wonder and the host of a Netflix series. 

Growing up, Dias was unsatisfied with the books assigned in school, given the lack of black representation. She insisted on change, which is when she founded #1000BlackGirlBooks, a social media campaign to collect and donate books with black female protagonists. At 10 years old, this hashtag took off. Her goal stood to collect 1000 books. 

More than 10 times over her goal, Dias facilitated 11,000+ books received and donated. 

“Success is not measured by the places you go, but by the actual people you touch in the places you’re servicing.”

At 13, Dias published her book, Marley Dias Get It Done (and So Can You), which discusses themes of equity, inclusion and social justice. Her newest venture is being the host and producer of Bookmarks on Netflix. She introduces children’s books and has black women like engage in reading and discussion. 

She told CBS This Morning that one of her inspirations is Augusta Baker, a female librarian that worked in New York’s Public Libraries for 37 years. Baker was also born into segregation in the 1940s and worked against this as a librarian. Dias found that they have similar goals, giving voice to black women and incorporating representation.

Dias went viral for her hashtag and launched her career as an activist. She became the youngest person on the Forbes “30 Under 30” List in 2018 before starting high school. 

Dias continues to work tirelessly to make her voice heard and uplift millions of other black female voices. Activists like Marley Dias should be celebrated every day, especially for her contributions to black history and her ode to those activists who came before her.