by Adina Brenner ‘20

Starr Carter, played by Amandla Stenberg in the film “The Hate U Give,” lives in a community ravaged by gun violence. She is pushed to her limits after witnessing the death of one of her closest friends. This death is especially horrific as it’s committed by one traditionally seen as a symbol of protection: a police officer. “The Hate U Give” focuses on the issues of police brutality and gun violence, two topics all too familiar to today’s society.

Based on The New York Times bestselling novel by Angie Thomas, “The Hate U Give” is told from the point of view of Starr in both the film and the book. Residing in the fictional community of Garden Heights, California, Starr is a typical high school junior whose main goals consist of graduating and going to college. Unlike most students at her wealthy private school, Starr is from a poor, mostly black neighborhood, known for its drugs and gangs. While at school, Starr acts studious and reserved, an opposite version of the person she is at home, as she feels it is the only way to fit in.

Just as she begins to discover a balance between her home and school life, the unthinkable happens. After being pulled over by a cop for a simple traffic violation, Starr’s friend, Khalil, is killed. During this encounter, Starr watches the situation unfold from the passenger seat. Rather than sitting in silence after finding out that the officer would not be charged for the murder, Starr decides to find justice for Khalil by fighting the system for its racist flaws. During her struggle for equality, the wall separating her two worlds quickly collapses, and Starr must face the reality that life is not as simple as it once seemed.

“Black Lives Matter” is the slogan for an especially relevant movement today as many believe that police brutality has been targeted at African Americans. Now as a major motion picture, “The Hate U Give” has become a way of opening people’s eyes to the issue of racism and further developed this movement. A goal of the the novel and film is to spread awareness for the life-altering issue of gun violence. Not only has this goal been achieved, but the film has gone above and beyond through the use of thrilling scenes and elaborate character development. Starr is not only an exciting character, but a role model for all audiences.