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" Most girls spend most of their time at school. If real change comes from hearing our voices, it has to start in school, but school is a place where black girls tend to experience microaggressions. Microaggressions are not always obvious, ugly, or terrible things, but they make you feel as though your voice does not matter. "

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" 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. "

Marley Dias

Make

You

Think

" I wasn't seeing black girls in the books I was assigned to read at my school. I was tired of only reading about white boys and dogs and wanted to collect books featuring black girls. "

" I travel a lot, so I know that it's important to have people in your life to keep you ground. "

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

" 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 think the biggest thing, where my passionate-ness comes from, is that I love reading, and it is something that I really care about. "

" Like feminism, I want to create systems and structures for the equity for all people, especially girls and women. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" It's important to read books and see people who look like you. It helps you know that you are not the only one or the weird one because you're a black girl and you are not seeing anyone who looks like you in these books. "

" 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. "

" 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. "

" If I meet someone who's Native American and I don't know anything about indigenous people in New Jersey - which I kind of don't, which is not really good - I can learn more and more about their lives, and that makes me a more open person and a more accepting person. "

Marley Dias

People

Good

" 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. "

Marley Dias

Working

Black

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

" I believe that feminism needs to teach more girls about how to make institutional changes and how to further engage men and boys into being our allies. "

" I've learned to use big words. Because I'm an avid reader, I can prove myself as a smart and diligent person. "

" 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. "

" When I speak at events, I often wear my dad's ties and my mom's earrings. It's a small, almost secret way of having them with me when I'm up there onstage, talking to a roomful of strangers. It makes me feel safe. "

Marley Dias

Strangers

Feel

" Black girl stories aren't just for black girls: they're for everybody. "

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

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