The Hate U Give

“Funny how it works with white kids though. It’s dope to be black until it’s hard to be black.”

Starr struggles throughout the book to walk between two worlds: the predominantly Black world of Garden Heights and the predominantly white world of Williamson. At Williamson, she walks a fine line between being seen as cool and interesting just because of her skin color and being looked down on for exactly the same reason. In response to this conflicted identity, Starr learns to code-switch as a strategy for navigating her dual worlds.

“The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody.”

In the very first chapter, Khalil explains what Tupac’s THUG LIFE ideology stands for. This is the source of the book’s title and a major theme throughout the work. This line is especially tragic as, in the next chapter, Khalil dies as a result of the systemic and cyclical violence that Tupac’s words define. The hate that causes his death results in more violence and hate, leading to riots that potentially have serious fallout for Starr and her community.

“I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve Tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down. Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.”

Starr explains how Khalil’s death and the lack of justice that follows is, tragically, not an anomalous event in Garden Heights nor in America in general. This quote speaks to the way that police brutality and the deaths of innocent Black people in America are typically handled: it is news for a time, people share the story on social media, there is outrage, and sometimes protests.