LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A mid-Michigan girl scout plans to collect and donate 1,000 ‘Black-girl books’ after a popular hashtag made it’s rounds on social media.
#1000BlackGirlBooks became popular back in 2015 when viral sensation Marley Dias realized there wasn’t enough representation of Black girls in children’s books.
But now, Lansing has their very own Marly Diaz. Her name is Melia Frazier and she is just a few hundred books away from her goal.
Her goal is to give them to schools and local Boys & Girls Clubs so kids can have books with leading characters that look like them.
At just 11-years-old, Frazier became inspired after seeing Dias, the founder of the movement, set out a goal to collect 1,000 books featuring Black female protagonists.
Now, Lansing’s very own is doing the same to help her community.
“It just gives me a sense of creativity and opening me to new worlds, and new places,” Frazier said.
Just like Dias, Frazier also feels like many books at her school don’t feature diverse characters.
“Lansing School District hasn’t really opened up to those topics yet. That’s why I’m giving books to the Lansing schools, and some other schools too,” she said.
She needs just 600 more books to complete her goal. She plans to donate them all to local schools and the Lansing Boys and Girls Club, something her father is very proud about.
“I remember as a child growing up and reading books, which were all great, but I never saw myself in those books. And now my daughter and all the other kids around will see themselves. Melia wants to make sure that other kids can read books that have images of themselves, that they can do anything in the world,” said Terry, Melia’s dad.
Frazier not only hopes to win a Girl Scouts Bronze Award for her book drive, but that kids in her community will view reading the way she does.
“I want them to know that they can do anything, and reading helps open their minds, and helps their vocabulary too,” she said.
You can drop off book donations at Sweet Encounter in downtown Lansing, or Socialight Society bookstore inside the Lansing Mall until Aug. 14.
You can also donate money or buy books online by clicking here.
