Marley Dias Quotes

If there was going to be a pioneer of the plus-size girl of my shape on TV, why not me?

Once I realized, when I became a plus-size model, that there were more women like me, my confidence immediately shot through the roof.

One of the greatest gifts of Black feminism to ourselves has been to make it a little easier simply to be Black and female.

I'm ready to be an action figure. I'd love that very much. And all the redheaded kids will get to go out and feel loved and be able to buy a redheaded action figure.

I know what it's like to turn the page of a magazine and not see anyone like you. It takes a lot, a lot, a lot of talking to yourself to confirm your self-worth.

It's important to read books and see people who look like you. It helps you know that you are not the only one or the weird one because you're a black girl and you are not seeing anyone who looks like you in these books.

I'm so proud to be a black woman; I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

My parents have taught me the value of reading and self-love through books that have characters that look like me and talk like me.

I feel good being a black woman; I've always felt good.

There's something to be said about seeing your face represented. There's just something really important about that. It just draws you in more.

I'm inspired to post a lot of positive messages on my social media because, growing up, I felt as though I needed somebody that looked like me in the limelight or in entertainment to promote being different and promote accepting your differences.

Black women, dark skin women are the original beautiful people to me.

For me, playing a chubby or fat superhero was so special because I would go and watch these movies with my friends and would never see anyone like me. I am excited to be that for other kids who look like me.

I think it's really important for all young girls to see themselves represented in fashion so they don't feel alone in the world.

Representing young black girls and giving them hope and the light and letting them know that they can do anything is important to me as a little black girl, too.

It's just surreal because I get to empower other little African-American girls around the world and say that you can be a superhero, and you rock, and you can conquer the world, and you are beautiful just the way you are, and your flaws are nothing, and you're awesome.

I hope that I can be an inspiration to kids that are young and may feel different or may feel like they don't belong.

I am a feminist, and what that means to me is much the same as the meaning of the fact that I am Black: it means that I must undertake to love myself and to respect myself as though my very life depends upon self-love and self-respect.

I wouldn't want them to feel lonely or outcast ever in any way. And no matter where they were in the world, I'd want them to always feel incredibly confident about who they were and proud.

I know I'm representing a group - black, Latin, whatever you want to put me with - and I want to show that they are beautiful the way they are. I think that's really important for our youth to see.

African women in general need to know that it's OK for them to be the way they are - to see the way they are as a strength, and to be liberated from fear and from silence.

With L'Oreal, I get to be Aimee Mullins, model. No qualifier. And that means everything to me.

I think the Miss Universe title not only gives me the opportunity to become a role model for Latina girls around the world, but to show that beauty isn't just about the outside.

I'd like to be the role model to teach other people who have Down's syndrome to be actors and actresses and to be themselves and not try to be a big shot.

I never wanted to play a character that hated herself. I wanted people to know that those aren't the only roles for people like me, normal girls.