Marley Dias, Ilsa Govan to Speak at Children’s Institute
Printer-friendly versionMarley Dias, the 12-year-old social activist who launched the #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign in 2015, and Ilsa Govan, co-founder of Cultures Connecting and co-author of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Strategies for Facilitating Conversations on Race (Rowman & Littlefield), will be featured in separate events at the 2017 ABC Children’s Institute.
Govan, who has led conversations about racial equity at workshops and conferences across the country, will deliver the Children’s Institute Opening Keynote on Thursday, April 6, from 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. at the Children’s Institute host hotel, the Red Lion Hotel on the River – Jantzen Beach in Portland, Oregon.
Cultures Connecting, which Govan co-founded with Dr. Caprice D. Hollins, seeks to assist organizations in entering into conversations about race, culture, and social justice. Govan also helps coordinate the white caucus at the annual national White Privilege Conference, which examines the concepts of privilege and oppression with the goal of offering solutions and strategies to work toward a more equitable world. She has also worked as an equity and race specialist for Seattle Public Schools.
Dias will appear in conversation with Suzanna Hermans of Oblong Books & Music as part of a featured talk on Friday, April 7, from 10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. Booksellers will have the opportunity to ask Dias questions during a question-and-answer period following the conversation. Questions can be asked at the time of the event, or can be sent to ABC Children’s Group Manager Gen de Botton ahead of time to be forwarded on to Dias and her team.
In November 2015, with the help of the GrassROOTS Community Foundation, Dias began collecting children’s books that feature black girls as lead characters as part of her #1000BlackGirlBooks campaign. The book drive went viral on social media, and Dias has since collected more than 9,000 titles, which have been donated to institutions such as the Retreat School in the parish of Saint Mary, Jamaica, where her mother grew up, and St. Cloud Elementary in Dias’ hometown of West Orange, New Jersey.
Dias has been recognized for her efforts by the Town Council of West Orange and was named the winner of the 2016 National Pretty Brown Girl Day “Dream Big” Award. She also spoke last year at the White House’s United State of Women Conference, where she shared the stage with Michelle Obama, Oprah, and Amy Poehler.
Booksellers looking to attend the April 5–7 ABC Children’s Institute are encouraged to register as soon as possible, as the institute is nearing capacity. Questions about the ABC Children’s Institute should be sent to [email protected].
See the complete Ci5 program here. Children’s Institute 2017 is made possible by the support of lead sponsor Baker & Taylor with additional support from publisher sponsors large and small.