Black History Month could focus less on slavery and civil rights and more on the Harlem Renaissance and everything we have achieved. I want to know about the whole black experience.

Marley Dias

Categorized in : History Focus Black Experience

Where the Red Fern Grows, my mom asked me, 'What are you going to do about it?'.

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.

great think you people

Innovation comes from, one, acknowledging yourself; two, studying and understanding the problem; and three, finding a solution.

solution yourself innovation problem

Frustration is fuel that can lead to the development of an innovative and useful idea.

lead useful frustration development

I am unapologetic about the need for social change, greater inclusion, and equity.

i-am need inclusion change

If you like reading, you are allowed to like to dance and to like to sing and to like to act.

like you dance reading

I don't want to bring negative energy to myself, and if people feel one way about me, I don't want that changing how I feel or what I believe.

myself me believe people

Dressing in an androgynous way, mixing up the masculine and feminine, blurring those boundaries - I'm cool with that. No one should ever be limited by stereotypes of gender, just as no one should ever be limited by stereotypes of race.

stereotypes cool gender way

Girls of color and young women need to be seen, heard, and valued. Schools can help make this happen by including our stories in the curriculum.

help need women color

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.

partner name friends diversity

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.

best see society speak

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.

person change want school

My parents have taught me the value of reading and self-love through books that have characters that look like me and talk like me.

value parents look me

I want young girls to know that their passions are important and that they should pursue them, regardless of whether or not they think that they'll be successful in terms of the mainstream.

think know important want

Hillary Clinton is someone who's never waited around for someone else to do the hard work. She's been an organizer and a change-maker for her whole life, practically.

never hard-work work life

Anyone can change the world however they want for the better!

change-the-world better change world

I come from a community that has a lot of white kids, and I notice how, a lot of times, they don't understand our differences and how I come from a different culture and my ancestors are different and my history is different.

community white culture history

I am purposeful in how I present myself to the world. I want my ideas to be taken seriously, and so I present myself in a way that allows people to see me and listen to what I have to say.

i-am myself me people

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.

me black space easy

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.

wear person glasses sometimes