Angie Thomas' Activism
Acclaimed author Angie Thomas took the Assembly Hall stage on Tuesday, April 3, with the confidence, intelligence and unfiltered honesty that readers enjoyed in her writing. Her debut novel, "The Hate U Give," was published last February and soon after became a #1 New York Times Bestseller. It has since been published in over 20 countries. I was thrilled to meet the author of one of my favorite books at PEA, and as a student of color, I was elated to have a woman of color as our Assembly speaker.
From the moment she spoke into the microphone, Thomas emitted an energy across the entire Assembly Hall, making students and faculty alike lean in and really listen to what she had to say. She talked to the student body in a manner that others immediately related to. "The Hate U Give" speaks to many students like me, as we can relate to the protagonist and the hardships she endures along with her juggling of what seems like two completely different worlds: our school world and our world at home.
Starr, the protagonist of The Hate U Give, is a sixteen-year-old black girl who tries to ascertain her place in her lower class neighborhood and in her upper-class suburban private school. Her life is forever changed after she goes to a party in her neighborhood and later witnesses a police officer shoot her best friend, Khalil.
He was an unarmed black teenager who followed the officer’s commands and did not have any weapon on his body. However, as a black man, he was at a disadvantage because most media sources portray black men as threatening and dangerous. After his death, Starr felt more divided than ever before, as her friends and family at home had vastly different views on Khalil’s death than her friends at her prep school. Some of her peers at school labeled Khalil a drug dealer and a thug. Meanwhile, people back in Starr’s hometown viewed his death as a life unfairly taken by the police, and thus they started to take to the streets to protest. This story of an unarmed black boy being shot by the police is extremely relevant today. Starr’s struggle to find her own voice and outlet for activism is also one which we teenagers can relate to.
The title "The Hate U Give" is written vertically on the cover of the book to spell out “THUG,” which is also a reference to Tupac Shakur’s iconic “Thug Life” tattoo. Tupac, among other rappers, impacted Angie Thomas’ upbringing in Jackson, Mississippi.
During Assembly, Thomas discussed her love of hip hop, and touched upon how various artists like Tupac and Biggie inspired her to help draw attention to issues that her community faces, citing their ability to bring attention to their communities through lyrics. Their music was a form of activism because it emphasized the struggles many marginalized groups experience. This is exactly the same effect of Angie Thomas’ book today, where police brutality, racism and the fatal shootings of people of color are commonplace. It’s important for people of all backgrounds to read her book in order to understand how privilege affects the experience of different groups in the U.S., and acknowledge the struggles of marginalized groups.
Once readers of this book recognize their privilege, they should utilize it to help create real, necessary change. Thomas’ evening talk discussed this and went into further depth about using art as activism, as she encouraged everyone to be an activist in whatever manner they could, whether it be through music, dance, painting or photography.
At the luncheon, Thomas discussed the movie based off her book. Amandla Stenberg, who played Rue in “The Hunger Games” and acted in “Everything, Everything,” will play Starr Carter. The cast also includes KJ Apa of “Riverdale” and Issa Rae of “Insecure,” among other talented actresses and actors. Keep your eye out for its release — if it’s at least half as great as the book, it’s a must-see.
In my opinion, Angie Thomas gave one of, if not the best, Assembly this year. It was incredible to hear about her life, her book and her advice on becoming an activist. Most of all, it was an inspiration to have a relatively young and cool individual talk to students directly and call attention to important issues in such an eloquent manner.