Angie Thomas

    For years upon years, black people have been discriminated against and completely misunderstood. But thankfully we have someone to give a voice the voiceless, Angie Thomas. It is sad to know that the issue of racism still resides in our society today, but it should be sad. It should make you feel uncomfortable reading about such a topic because things need to change. Angie Thomas is just yet another remarkable example of an idol to black children, or even children in general. Hope has no color. All of Thomas's works are well thought through, not only teaching readers about what it is like to be black, but she is also giving a voice to the black communities.

Background on Angie

    Like the majority of black, or African-American children, Thomas grew up in an impoverished area with high crime rates and a low economy in Jackson, Mississippi. There was so much gun-violence that Angie's mom decided to homeschool her for the rest of her school career. Her mother wanted more than that for Angie. She didn't want her daughter running around with all of the other corrupted black kids, skipping school, joining gangs, and getting arrested or shot by the police. So, her mom introduced her to the library, which is one of Angie's inspirations for her future books (1).

    Once she graduated from homeschooling, she got accepted into Belhaven University in 2009 to study English with a focus on creative writing. During this time, there was yet another case of police brutality, where a man named Oscar Grant was fatally shot by a white police officer. All of Angie's classmates (who were white) viewed Grant as a dangerous criminal, but she saw otherwise. This incident would be yet another inspiration for Angie (1).

                                                                                                                      

"The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everyone"

    Finally, on February 28, 2017, Thomas brought her story to the public. But, the one she released was not the original. The first version of The Hate U Give actually started off as a short story she developed over the years after the incident with Grant. It was also developed into a film in 2018, a year after the book was released.

    The Hate U Give is about a black teenage girl named Starr who struggles to fit into both worlds (her predominantly black neighborhood where she lives and her predominantly white school she attends). On top of all of the stress, she witnesses her childhood friend and lover Khalil, who was unarmed, get shot by a white police officer who pulled them over for no other reason that being black. She grapples with her decision of speaking up for what is right, or risking her and her family's lives from not only cops, but from gangs ran by their own people(2).

                                                

    In an FAQ interview, Angie is asked if the "U" in the title was intentional. Her response was, "Right again. So please stop side-eyeing me, Grammar Nerds." She intentionally used this letter because she was quoting one of her favorite rappers of all time, Tupac Shakur. In the book, and the movies, his song T.H.U.G  L.I.F.E was played in multiple parts or scenes, which was her inspiration for the title of her story (2). 

    Her book took the world by a storm, giving the world a new perspective on how bad police brutality is towards black people. The majority of reactions towards the book were positive. Award winning author William C. Morris and Becky Albertalli said, "Fearlessly honest and heartbreakingly human. Everyone should read this book" (2). Another well known author, Adam Silvera, said, "This is tragically timely, hard-hitting, and an ultimate prayer for change. Don't look away from this searing battle for justice. Rally with Starr" (2). These reviews on Thomas's book really shows how meaningful and impactful the book was, regardless of the fact that it was a fictional story.

    Unfortunately, The Hate U Give is on the banned books lists (3). This a controversial issue because the fact that Angie's purpose of writing her story was to spread awareness on police brutality, specifically towards blacks. I think this proves that some readers completely misinterpreted the message as promoting violence towards police, and that people are in total denial that the issue exists at all.

On the Come Up

    Another one of Thomas's amazing works is her story On the Come Up. Though it does not discuss a topic related to black people like her previous book, The Hate U Give, the reader can assume that part of it talks about how there is a stereotype that "black women are angry and troubled".

    The story is about a young black girl named Bri who struggles

with the issues of dealing with the murder of her father, and her drug addicted mother who lost her job and is having a hard time paying the bills. She aspires to be the biggest rapper in the world. Her life was already hard enough for her and her family when she finally releases her first song that features her anger. It goes viral, but not for the reasons she expected. She then grapples on how to be true to herself, her family, and her listeners (4).

(1)- Britannica for Kids. “Angie Thomas.” BKIDS, Britannica, kids.britannica.com/students/article/Angie-Thomas/632204#:~:text=She%20grew%20up%20in%20an,when%20she%20was%20a%20teenager.

(2)- https://angiethomas.com/the-hate-u-give/

(3)- Sarfas, Kat. “7 Banned Books That Should Be Required Reading.” B&N Reads, 31 Jan. 2022, www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/7-banned-books-that-should-be-required-reading/.

(4)- Thomas, Author: Angie. “On the Come Up.” BookTrust, Walker Books, www.booktrust.org.uk/book/o/on-the-come-up/#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20story%20of,bills%20after%20losing%20her%20job. Accessed 18 Feb. 2024.