The Theme Analysis of The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Have you ever got held accountable for something you did not commit? Don't you wish you had the chance to explain everything from your perspective? Some people die as a result of not getting granted that chance. The Black community, especially young youth, experiences this every day. Racism and police brutality towards their community has been occurring for years. In particular, their deaths are not receiving the justice they deserve. This issue is reflected in the book The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. In the book, the protagonist, 16-year-old Starr Carter, lives in Garden Heights, one of the poorest black neighbourhoods. It follows with her watching a white police officer kill her Black best friend, Khalil Harris, in front of her eyes. Thus, the theme that the writer is communicating about society is the injustice towards Black people. This theme is shown by having Maverick Carter teaching Starr, his daughter, how to behave around cops. Moreover, the injustice of Khalil's death and the Black Panthers Ten-Point Program is also a part of it.

To start, Maverick teaching Starr how to behave around police officers shows the injustice towards Black people. In the book, Starr addresses how her dad always reminded her of what to do when encountering a cop. However, Starr mentions how her mom, Lisa Carter, "told Daddy I was too young for that. He argued that I wasn't too young to get arrested or shot" (Thomas 20). Through this quote, it is clear that Maverick wanted to teach Starr how to act around cops at a young age due to the colour of her skin. However, Lisa did not agree with that idea, making Maverick upset.  This shows the injustice towards Black people because Maverick knows that Starr would have a higher chance of getting shot or killed if he did not teach her these rules. As a result, he ends up telling Starr, "you do whatever they tell you to do. Keep your hands visible. Don't make any sudden moves. Only move then they speak to you" (Thomas 20).  This quote shows how Maverick is concerned for Starr’s safety, showing injustice towards Black people. Clearly, because of the colour of Starr’s skin, Maverick has to teach her how to adapt in the community.

Furthermore, the injustice of Khalil's death shows equity towards Black people. In the book, Khalil was shot and killed during a traffic stop by One-Fifteen, a white police officer. However, One-Fifteen shot and killed Khalil because he was holding a hairbrush, which he mistook for a gun. According to Just Us For Justice worker Ms. Oprah, "the handle was thick enough, black enough, for him to assume it was a gun" (Thomas 217).  However, Maverick adds: "and Khalil was black enough" (Thomas 217). This shows injustice towards Black people because it proves that the police officer quickly assumed that Khalil was holding a dangerous weapon due to the colour of his skin. After Khalil died, people used his dealing to justify his death. But, Khalil had only dealt drugs to help him and his family that was in poverty. Thus, Maverick explains how  "they would either spend most of their life in prison, another billion-dollar industry, or they have a hard time getting a real job and probably start selling drugs again. That’s the hate they’re giving us, baby, a system designed against us" (Thomas 170). The interpretation Maverick gave of how poor black people are in view as a thug to the justice system.This shows injustice towards Black people because the disclosure Maverick gave proves that Khalil did not get justice due to how he was poor and Black. Evidently, Khalil's death did not receive justice because of the Black stereotype society has against him.

Lastly, the Black Panthers Ten-Point Program shows inequity towards Black people. The night before Starr testifies at the grand jury, an unknown individual throws a brick and fires shots into her home. At first, she changed her mind about testifying, but she agreed after Maverick brought up the Black Panthers Ten-Point Program. Starr begins to say, "We want the power to determine the destiny of our black and oppressed communities. We want an immediate end to police brutality, and the murder of Black people" (Thomas 320). The quote is advising us that Black people are not getting the inequity they deserve due to how they are still demanding justice for their community. Starr continues the pledge by saying, "complete freedom, justice, and equality” (Thomas 321). This quote shows injustice because it mentions how the Black community wants freedom, justice, and equality. Clearly, Starr and her community are still demanding justice due to the racism and police brutality they face.

To conclude, the theme of this book is the injustice towards Black people. The book outlines this by including how Black parents and children are always careful of their surroundings, especially cops. Not only that but, it incorporates how stereotypes of Black people are used in society to justify abuse and prejudice toward them. Additionally, the Black Panthers Ten-Point Program shows how the Black community demands justice. This reinforces how the public is trying to make progress for equality and the reduction of police brutality. It is a powerful form of activism that shows the reality of how Black people have to live. How much longer will this injustice continue?