My health and schoolwork come first. I work hard to get lots of sleep, but I probably work just as hard to spend time with friends.
— Marley Dias
I have some friends who love to perform and wish they were getting the attention I am getting. But that doesn't stop them from supporting me.
My passion for books has changed my life.
In my class - in all fifth-grade classes - we were required to read 'classics,' books like 'Shiloh,' which is about a white boy and the dog he rescues. And 'Old Yeller,' which is about a white boy and the dog that rescues him. And 'Where the Red Fern Grows,' which is about a white boy and the two dogs he trains.
I think the biggest thing, where my passionate-ness comes from, is that I love reading, and it is something that I really care about.
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.
I use Spotify to listen to music when I am taking a shower and when I am doing projects.
The first black girl book I fell in love with was most likely 'Please, Puppy, Please' by Spike Lee and Tonya Lee.
All my friends can probably only name one publishing house, and that is Scholastic; they are everywhere. Scholastic is the perfect partner for spreading my message of diversity, inclusion, and social action.
Between school, homework, tests, and play time with my friends, I have worked my butt off to create this space where black girls' stories are read and celebrated in schools and libraries.
If you like reading, you are allowed to like to dance and to like to sing and to like to act.
Even though I wear glasses, I'm not just a mousy person who stays in my room - even though I do sometimes stay in my room and read.
Frustration is fuel that can lead to the development of an innovative and useful idea.
My goal for the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign is to create systemic change across all school systems. I want there to be diverse books that reflect the lives of every person, regardless of whether or not they are in the majority.
As members of society, we should always be pushing our girls to strive to be the best and to speak up and out about issues we see.
It was the desire to see black girls and our experiences in the books that I was given to read at school that forced me to speak my truth. I launched #1000BlackGirlBooks, a book drive to collect the stories of women of color.
I think the biggest thing is that success is not measured by whether or not you're on 'CBS This Morning' or whether or not you make the local news station.
Innovation comes from, one, acknowledging yourself; two, studying and understanding the problem; and three, finding a solution.
People say, 'Dream big!' - but you have to think about the logistics. It's not just coming up with a great idea; it's how you can sell or market or promote that great idea.
