Movie matches lessons of book for opening dialogue

The book, now movie “The Hate U Give” was released on Oct. 19. The movie tells a story of a black teen who witnesses two of her best friends murdered by police.

The sight of a police car is supposed to be a comforting feeling, but for many it instills a fear for their lives. “The Hate U Give” by Angie Thomas takes a look through the eyes of Starr Carter, played by Amandla Stenberg, who becomes a witness to her childhood friend, Khalil’s, death by cop. 

Nearly 74.5 million Americans are black, which is about 17.9 percent of the United States. Starr’s story is shown through the eyes of this 17.9 percent and the struggles they have. 

With a message of such importance and meaning, book to movie conversions can be dangerous. However, the movie really does live up to the book’s magnitude.

Although he had to cut out things for timing purposes, director George Tillman Jr. did well with getting the true meaning of “The Hate U Give” to viewing audiences.

Both the book and the movie emphasize the injustice that African Americans, and minorities in general, face on a daily basis.

One of the focal points of the story is the acronym created by Tupac: THUG LIFE. It stands for “The Hate U Give Little Infants F***s Everybody.”

This phrase can be interpreted in many different ways. The way that author Angie Thomas viewed it was a cycle. 

The oppression of people at the bottom such as African Americans is given from a young age and conditions them to think they are bad. When a child is told that they’re going to be bad when they grow up, they will act on it because they think that’s all they’re good for.  

The book is more than just commenting on today’s social climate. It is also about a girl finding her voice when the world wants her to just be silent.

Starr feels pressure from all aspects of her life to not speak, including her own subconscious. She feels as if there is no one who’d believe her, even if all she was saying was the truth.

In the end, Starr discovers that her voice is the most powerful weapon she could use to honor Khalil’s memory and bring him justice.

Although many at Cedar Fall High School may find it hard to relate to the issues addressed in the novel and movie, it is very eye-opening. Often times we are only fed what we see in the news, which can be particularly one-sided.

What this novel and movie do is show the side of fear and oppression that many around us feel. They feel as if they are not being heard or seen, and this novel and movie show that we don’t need to start a movement to make a difference; all we need to do is start listening.