this is a really great overview of the beginnings of the black lives matter movement, and also a little history on how many of the major players in that movement came to it. it also is a tribute to some of the black men (and one woman, although her story isn't told) whose deaths lead to the protests that sparked the movement.

it disgusts me that not all of those names were known to me. most were, but even then i often didn't know the specifics. that said, it is impossible to know all the names. black men are killed by police in such high numbers that even if i was up on the news and even if the news reported them all, i wouldn't be able to keep up.

lowery does a nice job, though, of showing how these killings specifically ignited the flame that continues today. it's impossible to read this book now and not be taken right to the killing of george floyd and the protests of last summer, and thankfully, to the eventual conviction of floyd's killer. i'd love to have an afterword that addresses the time between the publication of the book and these recent protests. i wonder if it's more of the same, or if it feels different to me (the way ferguson felt different to them at the time) because i'm personally more aware now.

this is a powerful reminder of what is constantly happening to black bodies in our country, and to the fight for justice that is being led by strong black people. an important, and accessible read.

(and, again, a note section in the back of the book with no indication whatsoever in the text that there are endnotes. can we stop this trend please?!?!?) ( )

Excellent overview of the early Black Lives Matter movement--the events that created it and several prominent activists championing it. I nearly broke down in tears in public revisiting the events that happened here in my hometown of St. Louis. Necessary read for anyone interested in social justice. ( )

it's written in a very internety way which I didn't like. but it says enough important stuff that I could put up with the writing. ( )

This account of the revitalization of the protest movement gets four stars, mainly for its great introductions to the key players, such as Bree Newsome, DeRay McKesson, and Brittany Packnett. However, Lowery's narrative is all over the place. His content and writing quality is good, but the book lacked a cohesive through line in which to track the events. Lowery popped back and forth, often mentioning something that happened (for example, Ferguson October), only to drop it and bring it back up later as if it was never mentioned before. It felt cobbled together. Despite this, They Can't Kill Us All was moving, sad, and most of all informative. ( )

I think this works more as a memoir where I was really looking for a cultural study. I think the author made some great points and had a lot of information, I just would have liked a lot more references. ( )