This 9-year-old is helping get diverse voices into Utah's school libraries

Knowledge is power, and Emi Kim wants to use books as educational tools to help stop racism.

In July, the 9-year-old from Provo, Utah, opened a lemonade stand so she could earn enough money to buy books about diversity featuring people of color for her school's library. "It matters that everyone is represented," Emi told Good Morning America. "We're afraid of what we don't know and I think that's partly the reason why we treat people badly based on how they look."

Emi's goal was to purchase 15 books for her school, but she raised $762 and was able to donate books to five additional schools in Provo. She selected children's books with Black, Polynesian, Native American, Latino, and Asian main characters, which were "actually written or illustrated by someone of that race," Emi's mom, Dorie Kim, told GMA. After hearing what Emi did, the Provo school district purchased the same books to ensure students at every elementary school have access to the titles.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

In September, Emi set up another lemonade stand, and raised $3,029, which will go toward buying books about children with disabilities. "I really just like to help people," she told GMA. "Being treated based on the way you look is not right. We're all people and that's all that really matters."