The Hate U Give
Starr Carter lives in two worlds divided by race and socioeconomic class, Garden Heights and Williamson Prep. Garden Heights is the poor, predominantly black neighborhood that she grew up in. Williamson Prep is the wealthy, majority-white high school where her parents send her and her brother so that they get a good education and stay away from trouble. Her life in both of these uneasy worlds is soon shattered when she witnesses her childhood friend Khalil Harris get murdered by a white police officer. Starr faces difficult pressure from her community as she was a witness in the deadly encounter. Starr has to find the strength to stand up for Khalil and do what needs to be done to make a change in her community for justice. Khalil Harris is the name that changes the town of Garden Heights.
Race, socioeconomic class, and identity are explored in the movie, The Hate U Give, as Starr struggles to live in the predominantly black neighborhood of Garden Heights along with her majority-white high school of Williamson Prep. Starr feels like she has turned her back on her community and finds herself not belonging in either one after transferring to Williamson Prep for school. The movie also does a great job at displaying the way society, especially here in the United States, uses stereotypes of black people to account for violence and racism towards them. The film also shows how the cycle of racialized poverty can affect a community and keeps it from the resources and opportunities to prosper financially.
The Hate U Give can be compared to the concept of the One and the Other, which we have discussed earlier this semester. We see Starr and the people of Garden Heights as part of the Other after the fatal accident with Khalil. The people of Williamson Prep and the other white individuals of the town are part of the One as they see themselves as superior over the Others. The white police officer involved in the accident was seen by the judge as innocent in the situation and he walked away with no charges.
I think the creator of The Hate U Give wants us to take away several important lessons after watching the film. The creator exposes the controversial issue of police brutality along with the Black Lives Matter movement. It also makes us aware of the stereotypes of black people with violence and racism and how these are used to protect white communities. This work deals with the controversial issues of identity, power, injustice, and how they can either benefit an individual or harm their well-being. I believe the creator wanted viewers to question how race and socioeconomic class are used to define a person and how they are seen by other people especially the police and those of authority.