English
5+
Black Lives Matter
White Supremacy
Racism
Empowerment
Maxine Beneba Clarke
summary
When We Say Black Lives Matter was published in Australia last year, and has finally made its way across the pond to gut punch North American readers in the most poignant way possible. The stunning artwork that Beneba Clarke has created to accompany her compelling words are a sight to behold.
The refrain that echoes throughout the book explains the momentum behind the phrase “Black Lives Matter” and the legacy of destruction and racism that has brought us to present day. This powerful book doesn’t mince words and turns a history of forced resilience to a rallying cry. It is imperative that we listen to the folks who have been fighting for liberation in this generation and past generations. The words spoken by the parents to their child within this book have been echoed throughout generations of protests, community meetings, and as empowering mantras when it seems too difficult to deal with the dominant culture of white supremacy any longer.
When We Say Black Lives Matter must be experienced and taken to heart, my words simply cannot do it justice. It is profoundly hopeful and optimistic while at the same time not shying away from the emotional toll that it takes to be a Black person in a white supremacist society.
This book was kindly sent by Candlewick, but all opinions are my own.
Maxine Beneba Clarke
Maxine Beneba Clarke is a novelist, poet, and editor living in Melbourne, Australia. In addition to being a recipient of the Hazel Rowley Fellowship for Biography she is also the winner of the 2013 Victorian Premier’s Award for an Unpublished Manuscript, the Debut Fiction Indie Award and the Literary Fiction Book of the Year in the Australian Book Industry Awards. The photo was found in this article!
