The Ellises & The Time Machine is a series created to empower young children to learn more about often untold American history. Why Do We Have To Say 'Black Lives Matter'? is the story of 9-year-old Jackson, who has trouble reconciling the term 'Black Lives Matter' as he watches his favorite athletes wear shirts with the phrase while they play sports on a national stage. When Jackson asks his father, Devale, why the phrase is used, Devale decides to take the family on a journey through time to learn about over 400 years of Black history in America. Jackson and his brothers, Kairo and Kaz, are not excited about this history lesson at first, until Devale reveals that their closet has a hidden time machine