Hi there! I’m Marley Dias, and welcome to “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.” Today, we’re going to learn about some incredible Black women through a special book called “ABCs for Girls Like Me,” written by Melanie Goolsby and illustrated by Princess Kay. Our friend Marsai Martin will read it for us!
Hi, I’m Marsai Martin, and I’m excited to share “ABCs for Girls Like Me” with you. Let’s meet some amazing women from A to Z!
Ava was the first Black woman to make a movie that earned $100 million!
Beverly is a DJ and created the award show Black Girls Rock!
Misty was the first Black woman to be a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre.
Brehanna was the first Black woman to be part of a NASCAR pit crew.
Epsy was the first Black woman to be vice president in Costa Rica and all the Americas.
Diandra, who has albinism, became the face of a major beauty brand.
Carole was the first Black woman to win the Miss USA title.
Carla was the first Black woman to be the librarian of Congress.
Issa created and starred in her own premium cable TV series.
Stephanie was the first Black woman to be a pilot for Delta Airlines.
Kheris was the youngest to debut a fashion line at New York Fashion Week.
Loretta was the first Black woman to be the US attorney general.
Ibtihaj was the first to wear a hijab while competing in the Olympics for the US.
Nadja was the first Black woman to be a lieutenant general in the Army.
Michelle was the first Black First Lady of the United States.
Violet was the first Black woman to referee an NBA game.
Quvenzhané was the youngest Black actress nominated for an Academy Award.
Rosemary was the first Black woman to be a fire chief in the US.
Simone is the most decorated gymnast in US history!
Tyra was the first Black woman to be on the cover of GQ and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
Ursula was the first Black woman to lead a Fortune 500 company.
Valerie was the first Black woman to head a university in the UK.
Serena holds the record for the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.
Allyson is the most decorated US track and field athlete.
Yara started an organization for change while in high school, got into college, and starred in a TV show!
Zakiya was the youngest to win first place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association US Women’s Open.
Now you know your ABCs and 26 amazing girls like you and me. Here’s a question for you: Where do you wish you saw more people who look like you?
[Music plays] “Don’t Forget Who You Are” by Common ft. PJ
Create Your Own ABC Book: Choose a theme that interests you, like animals, sports, or your favorite foods. Create your own ABC book by drawing a picture and writing a sentence for each letter of the alphabet. Share your book with your family or friends and explain why you chose each word.
Role Play and Dress Up: Pick one of the amazing women from the book and learn more about her. Dress up like her and act out a day in her life. What challenges did she face? What did she achieve? Share your role play with your class or family and talk about why she inspires you.
Spot the Trailblazers: With a family member or friend, go on a “trailblazer hunt” in your community or online. Look for places, streets, or buildings named after inspiring people. Research who they are and why they are celebrated. Discuss how these trailblazers have made a difference in the world.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript, focusing on clarity and removing any unnecessary elements:
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[Theme music playing]
Hi, I’m Marley Dias. Welcome to “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices.” Today, we recognize the accomplishments of Black women through the book “ABCs for Girls Like Me,” written by Melanie Goolsby and illustrated by Princess Kay. Marsai Martin will read it for us.
Hi, I’m Marsai Martin, and I will be reading “ABCs for Girls Like Me.”
A is for Ava DuVernay, the first girl like me to make a $100-million movie.
B is for Beverly Bond, a girl like me who deejays and created Black Girls Rock!, the award show.
C is for Misty Copeland, the first girl like me to be principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.
D is for Brehanna Daniels, the first girl like me to be a NASCAR pit crew member.
E is for Epsy Campbell, the first girl like me to be vice president in Costa Rica and all the Americas.
F is for Diandra Forrest, the first girl like me to have albinism and be the face of a major beauty brand.
G is for Carole Gist, the first girl like me to win the Miss USA title.
H is for Carla Hayden, the first girl like me to be librarian of Congress.
I is for Issa Rae, the first girl like me to create and star in a premium cable series.
J is for Stephanie Johnson, the first girl like me to be a Delta Airlines pilot.
K is for Kheris Rogers, the youngest girl like me to debut a fashion line at New York Fashion Week.
L is for Loretta Lynch, the first girl like me to be US attorney general.
M is for Ibtihaj Muhammad, the first girl like me to wear hijab while competing in the Olympics for the United States.
N is for Nadja West, the first girl like me to be lieutenant general in the Army.
O is for Michelle Obama, the first girl like me to be the First Lady of the United States.
P is for Violet Palmer, the first girl like me to referee a regular-season NBA game.
Q is for Quvenzhané Wallis, the youngest girl like me to be nominated for the Best Actress Academy Award.
R is for Rosemary Cloud, the first girl like me to be fire chief in the United States.
S is for Simone Biles, a girl like me who is the most decorated gymnast in US history.
T is for Tyra Banks, the first girl like me to land the cover of GQ and Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition.
U is for Ursula Burns, the first girl like me to head a Fortune 500 company.
V is for Valerie Amos, the first girl like me to head a university in the United Kingdom.
W is for Serena Williams, a girl like me who holds the records for the most Grand Slam singles titles in the Open Era.
X is for Allyson Felix, the most decorated girl like me in US track and field.
Y is for Yara Shahidi, a girl like me who started an organization dedicated to bringing change to America while attending high school, getting accepted to college, and starring in a TV show.
Z is for Zakiya Randall, the first and youngest girl like me to win first place in the Ladies Professional Golf Association US Women’s Open.
Now you know your ABCs and 26 girls like you and me.
I have a question: Where do you wish that you saw more people who look like you?
[Music plays]
“Don’t Forget Who You Are” by Common ft. PJ
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This version maintains the essence of the original transcript while ensuring clarity and conciseness.
