#1000BlackGirlBooks Fulfills A Need For Book Distribution And Increase In Underrepresented Readers

#1000BlackGirlBooks Fulfills A Need For Book Distribution And Increase In Underrepresented Readers Many may not have heard of #1000BlackGirlBooks until this January when Marley Dias started going on a national media tour, but the project itself has been around since November. It originated as part of Marley’s social action assignment for the Super Camp at GrassROOTS Community Foundation—an organization co-founded by Marley’s mother Janice to teach young Black girls to be social change agents. While this particular project is new GrassROOTS has been around for six years. The premise of Marley’s project is simple and clearly reflected in the title aka hashtag that took the media by storm showing that an idea and a passion can reflect change and a successful grassroots project. Most frequently Marley’s been quoted for saying she was tired of reading about “White boys and their dogs.” But the goal of #1000BlackGirlBooks goes beyond this sound bite, returning to the perspective of “windows and mirrors” as well as tackling a greater problem of detachment and disinterest in literacy for urban youth across the country.