Marley Dias

Who She Is

Marley Dias is an author, activist, and one of the youngest people to demonstrate the power of social media to create real-world change. Born in 2005 in Philadelphia, Dias was just eleven years old when she launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign in 2015, with the goal of collecting and donating 1,000 books featuring Black girl protagonists. She promoted the campaign on social media, and it quickly went viral, attracting national media attention and support from readers, educators, and publishers across the country. The campaign surpassed its goal many times over, collecting more than 13,000 books. Dias went on to author her own book, become the youngest person ever to appear on Time magazine's "25 Most Influential Teens" list, and host a Netflix series called Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.

Why She Matters

Marley Dias proved that you do not need to be an adult or have a marketing degree to run a successful social media campaign. She identified a problem she cared about, crafted a clear message, and used social media strategically to reach an audience far beyond what she could have achieved on her own. Her story shows young people that the same tools they use every day to scroll and share can be used to organize, inspire, and make a tangible difference. For anyone interested in social media management, Dias is a powerful example of what happens when a strong message meets smart digital strategy.