The Fight Against the Hate

This novel is about a concept that the world is still fighting to rectify - not only racism as a whole, but police brutality. When Starr Carter is driving home from a party with her childhood friend Khalil, she becomes the witness of his death at the hands of a white police officer. The officer had no reason to shoot, (let alone three times in his back), but he killed Khalil after mistaking his hairbrush for a gun. The book deals with themes of racism, social and cultural class separations, and racial bias -- all issues that have been discussed in thousands of other works throughout the course of time. The book doesn't have to try to convince us that racism and police brutality exist. Everyone is already well aware of that. What made this book stand out the most to me was how it uniquely approaches how we are supposed to respond to these themes. What are we supposed to do in the face of these overwhelming concepts? Are we called to stand up when we have the means to do so even though the stakes are high and the odds low? Starr is told that her voice is her weapon. She doubts the truth of this sentiment several times before agreeing to be represented by an attorney and speak on Khalil's behalf to have the white officer charged for murder. And even then she still doubts if any real change is occurring. I know that I have definitely doubted the power that words can have in scenarios. But choosing to use the words that we've got anyways is a kind of bravery that makes beating these racial issues actually seem possible. Even when the court decides not to convict the officer, Starr's decision to continue using her voice and perspective as a witness is uplifting. There comes a point where she realizes that she is speaking not only for Khalil, but for her people as a whole and the countless others shot at the sides of police cars. I finished the book with this question running through my head: If Starr's voice is her weapon, does that mean that my voice is a weapon too? I believe that the answer is yes. Being a white female, I have a different kind of weapon. Like how a bow and arrow is different than a gun, voices housing different perspectives have their own strengths and power. I have a voice that can appeal to certain kinds of people, whether or not I am completely aware of the privileges I possess or not. I have a voice that can speak on experiences foreign to others, a voice that can attempt to bring the most peace and enlightenment in its own way while not compromising the voices and views of others. I hope that in my writings as well as everyday conversations, my voice is tapping into its arsenal's full strength and power in appropriate ways. I recommend this book to absolutely everybody, even those who wouldn't really call themselves readers, because it's a story that can be applied so relevantly to our present times. It's an eye-opening, culturally-shocking, entertaining read that I can honestly say changed me in multiple ways. 


Some of my favorite quotes from The Hate U Give:

"Sometimes you can do everything right and things will still go wrong. The key is to never stop doing right."

"What's the point of having a voice if you're gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn't be?"

"Brave doesn't mean you're not scared, Starr. It means you go on even though you're scared. And you're doing that."

"I knew the whole Khalil. That's who I've been speaking up for. I shouldn't deny any part of him."

"You can destroy wood and brick, but you can't destroy a movement."

"Once upon a time there was a hazel-eyed boy with dimples. I called him Khalil. The world called him a thug. He lived, but not nearly long enough, and for the rest of my life I'll remember how he died."

---