Age: 19
Mission: Amplify the stories of Black girls in literature
Her Story
Marley Dias grew up loving books, but she noticed something missing—stories where Black girls were the main characters. Frustrated by the lack of diversity in literature, she took action.
In 2015, at just 11 years old, she launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign, aiming to collect and donate 1,000 books featuring Black female protagonists to schools and libraries. Her campaign didn’t just meet its goal—it surpassed 9,000 books in just a few months, sparking an international conversation about representation in literature.
Her Impact
Since then, Marley has become:
An author (Marley Dias Gets It Done: And So Can You!)
A producer of diverse storytelling content
A social activist advocating for education and inclusion
A role model for young Black female entrepreneurs
Through her work, she continues to empower young women of color to see themselves as the main characters in their own stories—both in books and in life.
