The Hate U Give (And Why it Means so Much to Me)

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Last year, I received an ARC of a little book called The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Of course, this book is probably one of the most well-known books today, and I had the privilege of reading it early.

By now, you all probably know that THUG follows Starr Carter, a girl who struggles between balancing the two different worlds she lives in: her predominately black and struggling neighborhood, and the overwhelmingly white community in which her fancy prep school is located. One day, Starr's childhood best friend Khalil is shot while unarmed by a police officer, and Starr has to deal with the aftermath of the shooting, as well as learning to find her voice in two very different communities. THUG deals with a lot of hard hitting, difficult issues, and it is a book I think everyone should read. But The Hate U Give means a lot to me for so many reasons, and I would like to share the reasons why with you.

First, I am African American. I am biracial; my mother is white, and my father is Nigerian. And just from that, I come from two worlds. Literally. But I identify with the character of Starr so much. Although I do not live in a predominately white neighborhood, and I have not had a front row seat to police brutality, I go to school in a neighborhood a lot like Starr's. To give you come context, I go to the private school in the same town that the movie Mean Girls is based off of. The school Mean Girls is based off of is literally right down the street. I am one of only a handful of black kids at my school, and there is maybe one black family, if that, in the town where I go to school. And in Winnetka, and the surrounding towns, the houses are practically mansions, and a lot of the kids I go to school with have private beaches behind their houses. And so many of them will never have to work a day in their lives if they don't want to. And one of the biggest issues I have is that so many of them do not recognize their extreme privilege. Some of them do, but many of them don't. And I'm just going to be blunt: a lot of the kids I go to school with are just, quite frankly, really awful people. They're snooty, entitled, and exclusive. Let me be clear: not all of them are. There are some really good people there, but there are also a lot of not-so-good people there.  I have gotten a fantastic education at my school, and I will be attending an ivy league university after a gap year. And if I could go back and choose not to attend the school I do, I don't think I would choose not to go. It sounds strange, because recently I have realized that I have been pretty miserable for the last 4 years. But it shouldn't be on me, or anyone, to not want to go to a certain place to learn because the students are kind of nasty. Why should I have to sacrifice my place at a phenomenal educational institution because of other people's bad behavior? I shouldn't have to, and neither should ANYONE. And I want to make clear that I know I myself am privileged. I've grown up middle class, I've never once had to worry that I would not have a meal, and I have never doubted that I would have the opportunity to go to college. My town is diverse, and there is privilege, but there is also a great deal of struggle. For example, the school across the street from me has over 60% of its students receiving free or reduced lunch. But I recognize my privilege, and I try to do good with it.

I identify with Starr because, like me, she also moves between two worlds every day that she goes to school. And it sure is hell isn't easy for her, just like it sure as hell isn't easy for me. But The Hate U Give is a book that can have a positive effect on anyone who reads it. It showed me that, goddammit, it. Can. Get. Better.

So, that's why I identify with The Hate U Give. I've been wanting to share this story with the world for a long time, and reading The Hate U Give last year pushed me to be brave and share this story. I know the things I am saying may be controversial, but they are also 100% true. And I also think my story shows the positive effect literature can have on us. It allows us to hear the stories as others, and it brings us to a more fundamental understanding of one another. And through it, we have the capacity to receive, and to give, the compassion that we can always use more of.

XOXO,

I

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