“The hate you give little infants fu*ks everybody” THUG LIFE ~ Tupac Shakur
In February of 2017, author Angie Thomas published a phenomenal book called The Hate U Give. In October of 2018, that book became a hit blockbuster movie in a matter of days. And with the subject matter of the movie, it’s almost impossible to ignore.
The Hate U Give tells the story of Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) and how her life is split into two parts: the Starr that lives in her predominantly black neighborhood and the Starr that goes to an all-white high school. She keeps those parts of herself separate because of what other people might think of her.
Unfortunately, Starr’s world comes crashing down when she witnesses the death of her childhood friend, Khalil (Algee Smith), who was shot by a white police officer for thinking that he was reaching for a gun.
Starr’s dual personality is seen when she goes to her preppy high school, Williamson. She doesn’t want them to think that she’s “ghetto,” so she deals with the awkwardness of being one of the only black kids in that white space.
So, she adapts, has two white friends, Hailey (we’ll get back to her) and Maya, and her white boyfriend, Chris.
While trying to figure out whether or not to testify for Khalil’s murder, she has to deal with threats from the King Lords (the gang running her town), Hailey’s microaggressions, and overall anxiety with having the world all in her business.
BTW: Hailey’s microaggressions are mad rude and you don’t need anyone’s negativity in your life like that. Sometimes you’ve got to check your friends. She gets her comeuppance in the movie and it felt so good.
The best part about seeing this movie was being in a theater filled with people who looked like you relating to everything happening and reacting the same way that you would to the situations that Starr goes through.
It’s truly something that you have to experience for yourself.
Seeing how Starr navigates her life through situations that you wished weren’t an everyday occurrence for anybody is really eye-opening.
As a black woman living in America, I can relate to how Starr is feeling and why she made the decisions she did. This movie allows people to truly know how it feels to be a young black woman in America’s political climate today.
The Hate U Give is a great movie and book, so I suggest you read the book first then see the movie. Or if you’re truly impatient, go see the movie anyway.