Picture this: you are safely driving home at night with one of your closest friends. You and your friend have no suspicions or worries until you are pulled over by a police officer, who asks your friend to step out of the car for a license check. Unknowingly, your friend pulls out a hairbrush and is suddenly shot two or three times by the officer, right in front of you.
This scenario was the main tragic event that I saw in the breathtaking film The Hate You Give. The movie tells the story of an African-American teen, Starr Carter, who lives in two different worlds, one being Williamson Prep, her private high school, and the other being Garden Heights, her hometown. Carter struggles with the stereotypes placed upon her culture, which prevents her from speaking out about the murder of her friend
I cannot explain how heartbreaking and relevant this film was, with allusions to events that have recently occurred within our society. The film voices police brutality among African American individuals immensely and how many who have experienced this do not receive justice. Being a biracial woman myself, I was glad to see this film, as it opened my eyes to what others part of my culture have been through. It also taught me, as a young individual, to not be afraid of speaking up, since words are much more powerful than a weapon.
Overall, The Hate You Give took me on a whirlwind of emotions, with lessons about family, loss and love and traces of drama, romance and even some comedy. The cast was outstanding, so if you have not yet seen the movie, I highly recommend it, as I feel it will touch people in various ways. Being a movie fanatic, this film has to be the top of my favorite movies, and I hope others will feel the same after viewing it.
TCHS School Newspaper