When We Say Black Lives Matter

Written & illustrated by Maxine Beneba Clarke

A child learns the powerful meaning of Black Lives Matter through family, history, and joy.

4.4/5 Goodreads · 611 ratings

32 pages

$16.99Save 6%

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Bookroo's summary

A young Black child discovers the profound strength behind the words 'Black Lives Matter' through a loving narrator's guidance. As they navigate family life and school, the child witnesses the echoes of history and the vibrant defiance in protests. With scenes of ancestors playing djembe drums, this journey is a celebration of resilience and joy. What does it mean to stand strong in the face of fear? How does history shape our present? This moving exploration invites readers to reflect on the power of words and the enduring spirit of a community.

From the publisher

In a powerful, poetic missive, award-winning author-illustrator Maxine Beneba Clarke celebrates the meaning behind the words Black Lives Matter. Little one, when we say Black Lives Matter, we’re saying Black people are wonderful-strong.That we deserve to be treated with basic respect, and that history’s done us wrong. . . . Darling, when we sing that Black Lives Matter, and we’re dancing through the streets, we’re saying: fear will not destroy our joy, defiance in our feet. In this joyful exploration of the Black Lives Matter motto, a loving narrator relays to a young Black child the strength and resonance behind the words. In family life, through school and beyond, the refrains echo and gain in power, among vignettes of protests and scenes of ancestors creating music on djembe drums. With deeply saturated illustrations rendered in jewel tones, Maxine Beneba Clarke offers a gorgeous, moving, and essential picture book.

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