Description

Following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin, three women – Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Khan-Cullors – came together to form an active response to the systemic racism causing the deaths of so many African-Americans. They simply said: Black Lives Matter; and for that, they were labelled terrorists.

In this empowering account of survival, strength and resilience, Patrisse Khan-Cullors and award-winning author and journalist asha bandele recount the personal story that led Patrisse to become a founder of Black Lives Matter, seeking to end the culture that declares Black life expendable. Like the era-defining movement she helped create, this rallying cry demands you do not look away.

With foreword by Angela Davis.

Publisher Review

An empowering account of strength, resilience and bravery * * Elle magazine * * Tackling the whole gamut (racism, economics, freedom, sexuality, mental health, familial love, sisterhood and beyond), this is the portrait of modern America we should all be buying * * Emerald Street * * Khan-Cullors is careful to hold herself to account . . . This humility, alongside her exceptional commitment to social justice, provides the greatest cause for optimism in this harrowing and yet uplifting account -- Musa Okwonga * * New Statesman * * A stunning memoir but also a beautifully articulated letter of protest and outrage. I couldn't recommend it more highly -- Shirley Manson * * Independent * * There are some who believe it is possible to infuse empathy into the heart of America. This is Patrisse Khan-Cullors' magnificent accomplishment with When They Call You a Terrorist . . . Her concise narrative is as unapologetic as the famous hashtag she coined, and offers at once cadenced poetry, intellectual analysis, determined polemic and imagery as unflinching as photography * * Times Literary Supplement * * A powerful, self-critical, and intimate portrait of how organising for social change can look in the 21st century * * gal-dem * * Not only a memoir, but a vital piece of education and an emphatic call to arms to fight against police brutality, institutionalized racism and anti-blackness at all costs * * The List * * Patrisse Khan-Cullors is a leading visionary and activist, feminist, civil rights leader who has literally changed the trajectory of politics and resistance in America -- EVE ENSLER A story of perseverance from a woman who found her voice in a world that often tried to shut her out. When They Call You a Terrorist is more than just a reflection on the American criminal justice system. It's a call to action for readers to change a culture that allows for violence against people of colour * * TIME * * This book tells why we all share the responsibility to move those three words from an aspiration into a new reality -- JEFF CHANG