Dias has definitely practiced what she preaches. “I’ve always said that books have taken me on many adventures, but none of those adventures have been quite like this one. This isn’t a dystopian novel or a fantasy. It’s my real life. I, Marley Emerson Dias, have gotten the chance of a lifetime. I’m creating a brand-new zine for one of the most-read magazines in the world. In the blink of an eye, I’ve gone from being a book nerd in West Orange, New Jersey, to an Editor-in-Residence in New York City,” she wrote in a welcome letter for Elle.com.
For her first issue of the new zine, the tween interviewed writer-director Ava DuVernay and ballet dancer Misty Copeland, ran a pitch meeting at the magazine and she herself was also interviewed by Melissa Harris-Perry, Elle’s editor-at-large. Dias has not stopped there. Drawing on her desired goal to “…to change the way we imagine black girls in books and in culture and I want to create new spaces for black girls to be represented,” the girly tomboy who drinks Blue Raspberry Coolattas and builds Play-Doh people, has donated the first 1,000 books she collected to the Retreat Primary and Junior School and library in Jamaica, where her mother grew up. In addition, the cat video enthusiast has also donated extra books to her old school, St. Cloud Elementary in West Orange, NJ.
What’s next for Dias? Well, she tells us herself, “… I’ll continue my work to motivate black girls and all people to use their voices to be positive influences in their communities. As members of society, we should always be pushing our girls to strive to be the best and to speak up and out about issues we see.” To check out Dias’ zine, click here.
Photos: Elle
