If you don’t know who Marley Dias is, it’s time you learn about this inspiring young activist! I first heard about Marley two years ago, when at age 11, her #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign caught the attention of media superstars.

One day over a plate of pancakes, Marley’s mom asked her if she could change one thing in the next year, what would it be? After some thought, she announced that she wanted the kids in her school to read books with amazing Black girl characters.

Marley was frustrated that in the assigned school reading, Black girls like her were not being represented. And, she complained, “I am sooo sick and tired of reading books about white boys and their dogs!”

Her declaration was the start of the 1000 Black Girl Books campaign. After her hashtag went viral on social media, she collected over 8,000 books featuring Black girls to be donated to a variety of organizations.

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I recommend that kids everywhere who want to change something in their community pick up a copy of Marley’s new book: Marley Dias Gets It Done And So Can You! 

If you’re a parent or educator who want to help kids grow into their activism, you need a copy too.

Her book is part biography, part activist handbook. Marley has lots of tips and resources to share.

These are the top ten lessons I gleaned from the book for kids (and even adults) who want to be activists.

Related Post: Best children’s books about Black women leaders

Photo credit: Andrea Cipriani Mecchi

10 Lessons for Kid Activists from Marley Dias

1) Don’t try to change things by yourself. 

While Marley decided for herself what it was she wanted to change, it’s clear from her book that she got lots of support from others.

Marley’s mom, Dr. Janice Johnson Dias is a sociologist today. But growing up in Jamaica, she didn’t have a lot of access to books. Her experiences and guidance shaped Marley’s campaign.

Marley shares that her feminist dad, Scott Dias, led most of her tech efforts once her campaign picked up steam.

Marley also got lots of training and support from years of involvement with the GrassROOTS Community Foundation. Attending their SuperCamp, she learned about how change is made.

Every activist needs a community to rally with her if she wants to make lasting change!

2) Social media is powerful (but so is traditional media!) 

Marley Dias’ 1000 Black Girl Books campaign took off on Twitter, largely through the support of the informal Black Twitter network. Her book includes lots of tips for teens who want to use social media to further their cause.

From what to do about trolls to how to get the attention of companies who are doing things you don’t like, she has lots of helpful advice.

But Marley also wants aspiring kid activists to know that newspapers and local tv outlets can often be the best place to start. She mentions that if local news source PhillyVoice hadn’t profiled her, she might now have been invited to appear on the Ellen show.

Even for kids who don’t want to be in the spotlight the way Marley has been, using local media is a powerful tool. Kids who can speak up articulately for a cause they are passionate about are almost always of interest to journalists.

3) Stories matter even more than statistics

If you want to win someone’s support for your cause, tell a story instead of burying them in statistics. What’s happpened in your life, your school, your community that got you fired up in the first place?

Marley recommends that every activist have a 60 second story they’re ready to tell at any time. Marley’s is the story of announcing over a plate of pancakes that she was tired of reading about white boys and their dogs.

Related Post: 5 Young Activists Who Will Inspire Kids

4) Awakening others takes time

Marley assumes that her readers are “woke” already or they wouldn’t have picked up Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You. She reminds kids that when they encounter other people who are unwoke, it’s not necessarily their fault.

For kids who are trying to awaken others to injustice, Marley recommends lots of conversation. She reminds kids that becoming aware, and then conscious, and then woke is a process that can take a long time.

5) Charity is not the same thing as activism

To Marley, charity is “a one-way thing.” After you donate your clothes to the clothing drive or give change to a homeless person, you go on about your day. But “activism is reciprocal: there’s give and take.” Activists teach and learn at the same time.

Marley also talks about how her campaign wasn’t only about wanting to help others. She also did it because she wanted to see more books about Black girls on required school reading lists.

She also shares about how activism, even when it involves donating things, means mobilizing others and engaging with people who are affected by the problem.

Related Post: Teaching kids the difference between charity and justice

6) Want political change? Start locally.

It’s often easier to find out about national political issues. But the actions of your mayor and city council or your state legislators can have an even bigger impact on your community.

It’s also much easier to take part in local events that will get politicians’ attention, like speaking at a school board meeting. If you’re collecting petition signatures, you don’t need nearly as many to get noticed by a local leader than a national one.

7) Get informed about your cause – read books!

Marley Dias wants every kid activist to make sure they’re informed about the issue they care about. Although internet sources can certainly help, she also recommends going in-depth with good old fashioned books on your topic.

In a special section on literacy in Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You, she encourages kids to always take advantage of knowledgeable librarians.

8) Figure out what keeps you calm

As an activist myself, when I read Marley’s advice about keeping zen, I wished more activists of all ages would heed her advice. She reminds kids that there will always be some people who think nothing can be done about the problem you’re trying to solve.

Because change takes time, Marley encourages kids to take the long view. Just because there are setbacks doesn’t mean you’re not making progress!

Related Post: Mindfulness for Kids: Our Favorite Resource

9) Old fasioned phone calls can be powerful

Marley admits that making phone calls is not her generation’s favorite way of communicating. But because so many elected officials are, in her frank view, old, kids need to pick up the phone.

Every kid (and adult) should know who their representative  and senators are, and keep their names and numbers saved in their phone contacts.

10) Keep things simple

Even with the powerful network Marley has built, she says she keeps a notebook where she writes down simple, concrete actions she can do each day. Activists of all ages tend to have big dreams. Sometimes they’re so big that they can overwhelm us into doing nothing.

Don’t be afraid to start small. The important thing is starting!

Are you passionate about diverse books?

Although this post has focused primarily on the activism lessons from Marley Dias Gets It Done and So Can You, there’s also lots of great info for book lovers.

Young readers, parents, and teachers can take advantage of her list of 1,000 Black Girl Books for independent readers and young adults that’s found in the back of the book.

She also has tips for adults about how to encourage a love of reading in kids, plus her go to sources for finding diverse books.