How did we get here?
After weeks in isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sarah Kamya found herself going on nightly strolls and passing the same three Little Free Libraries in her neighborhood of Arlington, MA. As an avid reader and book lover, she would often stop to see what books were inside these libraries and was disappointed to see the lack of representation of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) authors and characters.
When George Floyd was murdered on May 25, 2020, Sarah knew she had to do something to educate and empower her community.
Fueled by the tide of civil justice, and as an African-American in a predominately white community,
Sarah had the idea to diversify Little Free Libraries. She decided to purchase books that amplify and empower Black voices, Black history, Black culture, and Black characters from Black-owned bookstores.
Sarah set out to normalize diverse stories and bring diverse narratives to the forefront, especially for Black and Brown youth, who so often cannot find themselves represented in literature.
As her work grew, she found it was important to have a library dedicated specifically to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) voices. The first library was installed in July 2020, and one library has now evolved into 10 libraries (and counting)!
In June 2020, Sarah started the Little Free Diverse Libraries* Instagram.
Since then…
Kamya has distributed over 3,500 books, filling Little Free Libraries in all 50 states.
She has collaborated with 100+ individuals and 10 schools to fill Little Free Libraries with diverse literature.
Her Instagram has 15,000 followers.
To date, Kamya has raised over $25,000 from Venmo donations.
And we’re not done yet.
From New York City, Dallas, Toronto, and beyond, it has been incredible to work with others who also believe in the importance, and the impact of spreading and sharing diverse literature.
*We are no longer called Little Free Diverse Libraries.
This name change reflects our growth and expansion into a nonprofit. The name “Little Free Diverse Libraries” has spread across the country and the world, and we are so proud of that growth.
While our name may be different, our mission hasn’t changed. As Diverstories, we continue to create and maintain Little Free Diverse Libraries and share diverse stories, one book at a time.