When They Call You a Terrorist : A Story of Black Lives Matter and the Power to Change the World: Young Adult Edition

Khan-Cullors, co-founder of the Black Lives Movement, describes the challenges she faced growing up as a black youth in a poor L.A. neighbourhood. Using her own experiences and those of family and community members she details the systemic racisim, persecution, and even murder faced by black people in the U.S. Her honest, authentic story reflects themes of resilience, justice, personal determination and strength, and can be used as a whole class or book club text, to launch discussion and personal responses, as an introduction to the social justice movement, and to inspire activism in students’ local communities. Teachers should consider students’ emotional maturity when considering this text.