Marley Dias now has $10,000 to buy more books featuring girls of color
Last week, Marley Dias was well on her way to her goal of collecting 1,000 books that feature black girls as the main characters.
The West Orange 11-year-old behind the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign says she was tired of having to read books about "white boys and their dogs" for school.
"When you see a character you can connect with, if they learn a specific lesson, you're more likely to apply that to your life," Dias told NJ Advance Media on Jan. 29.
In the last few weeks, Dias has seen her hashtagged quest for book donations drum up a wealth of support on social media, resulting in contributions from individual readers as well as authors and a publisher. She drew national attention for her effort, but now, Dias has more than surpassed her goal, thanks to an appearance on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
In an episode airing on Wednesday, DeGeneres presents Dias with a laptop -- she's an avid writer and dreams of being a magazine editor -- and a $10,000 check from Shutterfly to buy more books.
Marley Dias, 11, started a book drive that proved to be a social media success. After an interview with Ellen DeGeneres, she has $10,000 to buy even more books. (The Ellen DeGeneres Show)"I have a feeling you're going to accomplish whatever you wanna do because you're really smart and I think you'll be a great boss," DeGeneres tells Dias.
Marley plans to donate the first 1,000 books to Retreat Primary and Junior School and library in Jamaica's St. Mary parish, where her mother, Janice Johnson Dias, grew up. The sixth grader will donate extra books to West Orange's St. Cloud Elementary School.
"I think Marley is a catalyst for articulating something that many people did not have the words for," Johnson Dias says. "She's certainly been an inspiration for me."
Those who wish to donate books to Marley's drive can send them to 59 Main St., Suite 323, West Orange, N.J., 07052. Monetary donations can also be made via Marley's BAM website at welovebam.com/1000-black-girl-books.
Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AmyKup. Find NJ.com Entertainment on Facebook.