# When We Say Black Lives Matter - Hardcover

by **Maxine Beneba Clarke** (Author), **Maxine Beneba Clarke** (Illustrator)

**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.

### Author Biography

**Maxine Beneba Clarke,** a writer and slam poet champion of Afro-Caribbean descent, is the author of _The Patchwork Bike_, illustrated by Van Thanh Rudd. About _When We Say Black Lives Matter_, she says: "I see this picture book as an act of Black love--I was inspired to write and create it when thinking about how to explain the concept of _Black Lives Matter_ to the young African diaspora kids in my extended family, living in over eight different countries across the world." Maxine Beneba Clarke lives in Australia.

**Number of Pages:** 32

**Dimensions:** 0.5 x 12.3 x 9.8 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** September 07, 2021

**Accelerated Reader:**

**Quiz Name:** When We Say Black Lives Matter

**Interest Level:** Lower Grades, K-3

**Reading Level:** 3.5

**Point Value:** 0.5

## Details

- **Price:** 16.99 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 16.99 USD | In stock |

## Images

- When We Say Black Lives Matter - Hardcover

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> Updated: 2026-07-23