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Marley Dias, the 11-year-old who made headlines for her frustration with the lack of diverse representation in children’s books, has received an outpouring of support. The fifth grader was on a quest to find 1,000 “Black girl books,” so she wouldn’t have to read about “White boys and their dogs,” and started a social campaign that went viral.

Marley has since received nearly $3,000 raised by author and blogger Kelly Jensen. Barnes & Nobles also donated books with the message, “For children in the process of figuring out who they are, and who they want to be, it is just as important to also read stories about characters they can relate to, and see themselves in.”

Even Ellen DeGeneres lent her support by collecting 700 books and providing Marley with a laptop and a $10K check from Shutterfly. Now that she has exceeded her goal, Marley plans to share her donations with “other schools where students are experiencing the same frustration.” Recipients will include students in her mother’s native country of Jamaica, as well as schools throughout New Jersey and Philadelphia.

SOURCE: The Guardian | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty, Twitter

#BlackGirlMagic: Marley Dias Exceeds Her #1000BlackGirlBooks Campaign Goal  was originally published on globalgrind.com