When We Say Black Lives Matter by Maxine Beneba Clarke
Hachette, 2020. ISBN: 9780734420428.
(Age: 4+) Highly recommended. Author illustrator, Beneba Clarke uses
her considerable talents and background to increase student
understanding and awareness of the phrase they will have heard a lot
lately. 'Black Lives Matter' is a mantra repeated on every news
platform, making it one of the phrases that has defined the last
decade. Used after the shooting death of black teen, Trayvon Martin
in February 2012, people could not help but be caught up in the
world wide response to the acquittal of his killer, penning the
phrase to make people aware that black lives were being thrown
away. Adults reading this picture book will be only too aware
of the background to the phrase, and will be able to support younger
children as they learn what the phrase means and how it came to be
used.
Beneba Clarke shows a supportive family, being strong and positive
with their offspring, making sure that 'Black Lives Matter' is a
phrase with meaning. A pregnant woman gives way to a young couple
and their baby, and as each page is turned, the child grows to
maturity, the verse on each page telling us how their lives matter.
As part of the family's daily life we see police lined up against a
peaceful demonstration, the police outline of a body on the road,
people crying, running figures escaping police brutality. Each image
recalls incidents where the authorities have scorned those whose
lives they have sworn to protect, while in the background we can see
images of the posters carried in the demonstrations.
The stunning illustrations with bold black outlines on textured
paper, the images filled with pastel, bring a dark and foreboding
quality to the pages, as the words point out the adversities
suffered by black people. But the family endures, reminding their
offspring that 'Black Lives Matter', offering hope for a future
where Black Lives do indeed Matter, impelling us all to be part of
that future.
Themes: Racism, Police brutality, Unlawful death, Black
Lives Matter, Demonstrations.
Fran Knight