Madison Meeks – Opinion Editor 

mvm7037@psu.edu

[Spoilers]

Social justice, and standing up for yourself and others: “The Hate U Give” covers these topics and more. 

The book is an expansion of a short story that the author, Angie Thomas, had written in college. Thomas took inspiration from the protests surrounding police brutality, specifically around the killings of Alton Sterling, Michael Brown, and Philando Castilel. The novel is a reflection of the racism and brutality that people of color experience in society. 

“The Hate U Give” is about Starr Carter, a 16-year-old African-American girl who lives in the fictional neighborhood of Garden Heights. She attends the predominantly white private school Williamson Prep. While attending a party, a shooting suddenly breaks out, leading to Starr being driven home by her childhood friend and crush Khaili. 

During their drive, the two are stopped by a white police officer, who Starr refers to as “One-Fifteen.” “One-Fifteen” informs Khaili, who is African-American, to leave the car. When Khaili leaves the car, he sticks his head through the window to check on Starr. The “One-Fifteen” assumes that Khaili is grabbing something, so he shoots and kills him.

After some time and encouragement from her uncle Carlos, Starr agrees to interview with police about the shooting. Carlos had become Starr’s father figure after her parental father, Maverick, had to spend three years in prison. After being released, Maverick left the gang and now owns a grocery store in Garden Heights. 

Maverick was able to leave the gang, known as The King Lords, after confessing to a crime to protect the leader of the gang, King. The King Lords become an important part of the story as they show up to Khaili’s funeral, leading to Starr starting to think that Khaili may have been involved with them. 

While trying to get justice for Khaili, the news of his murder quickly became a national headline. The media lies, portraying Khaili as a gang banger and a drug dealer and the “One-Fifteen” as a hero. In this time, Starr tries to keep her identity as a witness a secret. As the trial approaches, Starr and her family are worried that Khaili will not get the justice he deserves due to the current publicity.

While I would love to tell what happens at the trial and the end of the book, readers will have to read the rest of the book to find out what happens in the end. Overall, “The Hate U Give” is a book that makes people aware of systemic social and cultural issues that people of color face. 

“The Hate U Give” is perfect for people who want to be informed about the fight for social justice.