Izze and Emma's column: The Hate U Give

By Emma Hartman

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is an extremely well-written book about a teenage black girl whose friend is murdered after being stopped by police on the road. The young man pulled out a hairbrush from his pocket, and the white cop assumes he is a threat and shoots him. Though this book is fictional, this situation and situations like this, unfortunately, are not uncommon for black people in the United States. Systemic racism is ever-present in our country today; despite claims of its falsity from certain right-wing racists. This book helps people to understand what it feels like to be black in America, which is necessary if there is ever going to be a change in the racist systems of this country. The Hate U Give is the perfect book to read because it is so relevant to our current social and political climate. I would recommend this book to anybody who is wanting to further their knowledge about the horrors of police brutality and systemic racism. Not to mention that the plotline of the story is intriguing and makes the book a page-turner. Additionally, there is a new sequel to The Hate U Give called On The Come Up that explores the same topics. The Hate U Give is an important book to read because it instills a sense of empathy into the hearts of even the most close-minded people by creating likable and relatable characters that force you to pay attention to the themes of the book.