When They Call You a Terrorist: a Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World by Patrisse Khan-Cullors and Asha Bandele

Summary from Goodreads:

Patrisse Khan-Cullors' and asha bandele's instant New York Times bestseller, When They Call You a Terrorist is now adapted for the YA audience with photos and journal entries!

A movement that started with a hashtag--#BlackLivesMatter--on Twitter spread across the nation and then across the world.

From one of the co-founders of the Black Lives Matter movement comes a poetic memoir and reflection on humanity. Necessary and timely, Patrisse Khan-Cullors' story asks us to remember that protest in the interest of the most vulnerable comes from love. Leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement have been called terrorists, a threat to America. But in truth, they are loving women whose life experiences have led them to seek justice for those victimized by the powerful.

In this meaningful, empowering account of survival, strength, and resilience, Cullors and asha bandele seek to change the culture that declares innocent black life expendable.

Review:

So, this was a powerful book…Over the last couple of years I’ve been reading more nonfiction. I’ve been drawn to YA nonfiction like never before. I’ve been reading books about antiracism and fake news. And I wish I read and had these books when I was younger. But, I’m so glad these books are around now. After the books I’d read this year about race (both for young adults and adults) I thought I knew a lot about Black Lives Matter already. I was wrong. I learned so much in this book.

I guess one of the biggest truths I learned over the last couple of years was how differently, various races and cultures experience police. That wasn’t something new to me this year –though it was certainly present everywhere I seemed to turn. One of the most powerful things about this book is it really shows you how young black people’s relationships start with police. Patrisse explains their presence as a constant surveillance in her neighborhood and her first memorably terrible experience with them personally attacking her family was when she was 9. They abused her two older brothers who were 11 and 13. And that’s just the beginning.

The book goes on to demonstrate a state of constant police brutality in her neighborhood, her school, her home, and her life. Her father, and then her later discovered biological father spend time in prison. Her brother is tortured by police and called a terrorist after having a mental illness episode after what is essentially a fender bender, and then put in prison for years. Each page I turn, it becomes abundantly more clear why Black Lives Matter comes to be. But, the other thing that stands out is just how shockingly good and kind Patrisse is. She’s a survivor. She’s been through so much. And at her heart, she just wants to save people and love people. And you can’t help but read this and think why does it have to be so hard?

Patrisse’s story is sad and hard. I found myself crying at parts. I really connected to her experience with her brother –not because my brother has been arrested. Though, I can’t help but think if he were black, would he be? My brother has the same kind of mental illness and experiences similar episodes to hers. Her story is also hopeful. I can’t help but be so glad that people like her are alive and fighting.

This would be a great book club pick, or a wonderful book to talk about in the classroom. It reads more like a novel than a typical nonfiction book. I give it a 10/10. And I highly recommend it to people wanting to continue their anti-racism reading.