20/S1 HMRT 2023 A - Literature and human rights

Maple Leafs Close Reading

The novel The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas speaks volumes of the police brutality toward people of colour (POC) in the United States, and the ways in which racism is institutionalized and ingrained in society. The themes in this novel of police brutality, prejudice and racism are current and protests continue daily in the United States following the killing of George Floyd. This case is not in isolation and is just one of many deaths that have been pushed aside and failed by the justice system.
The passage we chose to focus on for this close reading is when Starr and her father discuss the people they have seen become victims of police brutality as she says: “The truth casts a shadow over the kitchen – people like us in situations like this become hashtags, but they rarely get justice. I think we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right” (59). Public killings of POC in the United States have become a normal occurrence on the news, and often the victims do not receive justice. Instead, hashtags flood social media in an attempt to push for reform, but unfortunately this is generally unsuccessful. Despite the media attention for Khalil’s death, the justice system continuously fails POC in the novel, and this stems from the belief that POC are inherently violent and prone to criminal behaviour.
The narrator in the novel is an African American teen named Starr who lives in an inner-city community called Garden Heights. The reader experiences the events of the novel through Starr’s eyes. Starr’s tone in this passage is serious but relatable. The reader can feel Starr’s frustration but also experience her hope because Starr speaks in a way that is easy to understand. Starr’s frustration in this passage is seen when Starr mentions the fact that people of colour never get justice in situations involving police brutality. They protest and become hashtags but never truly get justice. Though she expresses her frustration, she is hopeful Khalil will get justice and this event will be the turning point for oppression and systemic racism
Starr’s quote reveals frustration and distrust of the justice system and it has a clear connection to Article 3 and 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). In the novel, the police officer #115 was not indicted for the tragic murder of Starr’s close friend, Khalil Harris. Unfortunately, police officers not being charged for murder is a very common and real example of injustice in our world today. An example of this occured earlier this month when the police officer responsible for killing Breonna Taylor was not charged for her murder.
A human rights violation caused by such an injustice is a violation of Article 3 of the UDHR: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person." When the police officer is dismissed from the charge, Starr begins to fear more for her own security. She claimed in the novel that people like her in situations like this "become hashtags, but they rarely get justice." It is also the reason why black kids have "the cop talk" or as Starr puts it, "what to do if a cop stopped me." She claimed that she received the cop talk at age 12, but after what happened with Khalil and the impacts the case had on her family, her parents chose to give "the cop talk" to her younger brother Sekani at an even younger age.
The second article from the United Declaration of Human Rights that we are stating violates this specific passage is that of article 7 which states that "All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination." Article 7 encompasses protection from discrimination under the law stating that all are equal, unfortunately this is rarely the case. As seen within the novel The Hate U Give, and through our chosen passage, people of colour have always been neglected under this right. Our passage relates to Tupac Shakur's statement about 'T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E.,' standing for The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. Throughout history the hate given to 'little infants' is ever-changing, adapting different forms but never for the better.
One thing that has not changed as time has gone on, as briefly stated by Starr in the passage, is that BIPOC have always been excluded from getting their deserved rights and justice. Nobody should ever have to wonder if they will receive justice based on who they are as a person/ their identity! To conclude this point, our passage violates article 7 from the UDHR because it talks about how justice (which should be rightfully distributed) is not given to black people because of the lack of opportunities, 'T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E.,' systemic racism, etc.
The root causes of the issues presented in this novel are a direct product of systemic racism. This racism exists at all levels, and in the novel it is evident through the justice system, school system and police department. When white people are occupying the majority of positions of power it makes it difficult for POC to have a fair chance. Racism is not something that can be solved overnight, and Starr highlights this as she states, “we all wait for that one time though, that one time when it ends right” (59). Starr’s character in the novel has witnessed the discrimination POC face daily and yet she remains hopeful for a chance at the justice system changing for the better.

Canucks Close Reading
Passage: Page 168 (from "The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody") to page 171.

Angie Thomas’ novel, “The Hate U Give”, seeks to depict the real-world issues surrounding systemic racism and its intergenerational effects through the experiences and perspectives of the young protagonist, Starr Carter. After witnessing the murder of her friend Khalil by a police officer, Starr engages in dialogue with her father in an attempt to understand why the Garden Heights community continues to deal with systemic racism and inequality. They speak about the significance of Tupac Shakur’s T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E acronym—“The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody”, where they are able to apply it to the systemic racism and oppression that has seemingly founded their community. When a community is built upon injustice, where individuals were never meant to succeed, it is a difficult cycle to break. As Starr learns, in order to break this cycle, and to put an end to its intergenerational effects, it is imperative that citizens speak out against injustice and advocate for change. The voices of the oppressed have continued to be wrongfully ignored, and through the means of protests and riots, there is a light of hope that a movement of powerful voices will inspire change.

In the novel “The Hate U Give”, Thomas sheds light on the systemic racism in our society, where many Black people are stuck in seemingly endless cycles of crime and poverty, not on their own accord, but because as Maverick states, they live within a “system designed against us” (170), 'us' referring to the Black community. Maverick explains that lack of opportunities forces many in their poverty-ridden neighborhood into drug dealing. There are not many jobs in their neighborhood and because of institutionalized racism, they aren't getting hired easily elsewhere. On top of this, their education is inadequate, and many do not know any different than drug dealing or crime and have no other options but to sell drugs as a source of income. This riddles a community with drug addiction, poverty, and crime. When people from these Black communities are sent to jail, and return, they find it even harder to find jobs, and will probably fall back into old habits out of necessity. This is not fiction, but the reality of many communities today. When the foundation of a community, even a race, is built upon setting up the community members to fail, what does one expect to happen? Success, change, and growth are increasingly difficult as time passes in these communities. This cycle that is built against Black communities has been ongoing and affects generation after generation. This reality only encourages police brutality because of the way of life of these communities, they are seen to “deserve” it. Though the realities of Black individuals are not something they asked for or created. There are real one-fifteen's who get away with the murder of Black individuals all the time. Even if an individual committed a crime, or resisted police, we should never be accustomed to believing these are worthy of being killed by police. Being a drug dealer is not a death sentence and neither is being a Black person. Over a lifetime in America, researchers Edwards, Lee, and Esposito found “about 1 in every 1,000 black men can expect to be killed by police” (16793). Khalil’s story echoes the stories of many real Black lives lost by police. The T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E acronym, that the title of this book is named after, explains this very vicious cycle in 8 words, “The Hate U Give Little Infants F*** Everybody”. The hate needs to stop being given, and change needs to be realized. Starr finds in this conversation with her father that things won't change without speaking out.

Starr first shies away from speaking out due to fear for life, fear perpetuated by a system that was meant to protect her. In her conversation with her father Starr finds her reason to let her voice be heard. She acknowledges the disadvantages that her life was predisposed to from birth throughout this conversation and she sees that without her speaking out, there will be no change. The novel depicts the unrest black individuals feel at the injustices that continuously are directed at them. Starr says "it's been happening and people will keep rioting until it changes" (170) to show that these riots are a symbol of their voices and their demands. They riot and protest not to arbitrarily destroy but to show their yearning for change. There are countless instances of persons writing letters and making petitions only to not be heard. Their demands are not conceded to and the ‘hate’ persists. Police officers that continuously harass, harm, and murder black lives are allowed free at almost every instance and it is what Starr sees when she says, “cause One-Fifteen hasn’t been charged” (170). A frustrated, disgruntled, and angry people who are tired of being disadvantaged and mistreated by society will speak out and seek justice by any means necessary. Many times, a situation is not treated with urgency until people speak out and that is what protesting, and rioting does. It is easy to ignore a piece of paper, a petition, but it is hard to ignore countless individuals marching down your street. That draws the attention of news stations and other authorities and starts the change these black individual’s desire. It was the civil rights movement and protests that paved the way for black rights. Even more current it was the protests and riots that drew national attention and brought the killers of George Floyd to justice. It is speaking out against the hate that sparks change.

Starr in Thomas’ book speaks in the first person, offering commentary and insight into how events make her feel and providing background information. While her observations are subjective, Starr does not intentionally distort the truth, and in fact, tries to clarify as much as possible the way she feels and why. Moreover, Starr tells the story in a colloquial manner as if talking to a friend. She reacts to events as they occur, leading to a wide range of emotions as she experiences them. The entire conversation with her father happens in the present, and with each of her father’s question, Starr comes to a new realization. The reader feels as though they’ve accompanied Starr on her journey of knowledge.

The passage under discussion employs the use of motifs, a literary tool that helps to develop and inform the text’s major themes. Starr and her father reference hip-hop tracks by name, revealing the deep connection between hip hop and life in black neighborhoods. The track provides a level of catharsis for the characters. For instance, Seven reassures Starr that everything will be OK after Khalil’s death by playing Kendrick Lamar’s song “Alright.” N.W.A.’s “F--- Tha Police” blasts during a Garden Heights riot following the grand jury’s decision not to indict One-Fifteen. The tracks fit the characters’ moods to emphasize how hip hop speaks to the emotional experiences of these characters. Many mainstream critics dismiss hip hop as a violent genre of music, and this generalization parallels how the media in The Hate U Give uses Khalil being from Garden Heights to stereotype him as dangerous. However, like Garden Heights, the hip hop genre has more happening below the surface. For instance, Tupac Shakur’s phrase “thug life” sounds as if it glorifies gang violence, but when analyzed, it comments on the circumstances that create violence in poor black communities. Starr’s father helps her realize that hip-hop is a mirror both for black experience and how the white mainstream world dismisses that experience.

Additionally, the T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E acronym highlights the situational irony of the text. The term was originally created to degrade and categorize black individuals into being seen as nothing more than criminals primarily because they did what was necessary like rioting and protesting to fight for their right to not only be treated as humans but to change things like systemic racism that affects the community. T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E which stands for "The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everyone" revolves around the concept of the seed (black children) that will grow to hate those who have mistreated the black community and that will foster the continuous hate that has and still is being given from racist individuals and institutions alike. Tupac redefined Thug life as not the life of a criminal but of an individual who continues to fight towards success despite the odds. This new meaning challenges the narrative that has been predisposed in people's minds since birth. Thomas alludes to Tupac's T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E in her title and its significance really shines through as readers grasp the message of systemic/institutionalized racism and how it affects each character. These hapless experiences will lead to generational trauma and will fuel the cyclical issues mentioned.

The use of truncated sentences in this passage to finish the chapter allows the author to create a sense of tension, haste, or urgency. Communication becomes more powerful when its shortened and allows for emphasis. Short sharp sentences are used to create a point, there is a natural pause after a sentence, and this gives the other person space in which to consider what is said. Using a shorter truncated sentence gives the other person more time to pause and think about what is being said, creating a bigger impact. Starr says, “We can’t be silent”, and her father tills and quietens and they both come to certain realizations that reinforce their belief in not staying silent.

Present-day racism is rooted in our history of slavery and segregation. While there are laws against discrimination, racial disparities continue to exist in employment, housing, education, healthcare, politics, and other sectors. The novel primarily deals with racial inequality in the criminal justice system and its subsequent effects on Black communities. People of color are disproportionately targeted by police and incarcerated at higher rates. Those who speak out against this injustice are also targeted, as seen in the novel during the Garden Heights protests and in real-life during the Black Lives Matter protests.

Defunding and demilitarizing the police and investing in alternative approaches to security is a solution that could help end discrimination against Black communities in America, and around the world. Potential policy changes could include: putting an end to policing poverty, and instead investing into housing, transportation, and food security; decriminalizing drug use, and instead taking a public health approach and providing support for those living with an addiction (like Kahlil’s mother Brenda); and introducing federal requirements to include Black history in school curriculums, so that future generations of teachers, lawyers, and doctors grow up to be respectful and educated members of society.

Institutional racism is deeply ingrained into our society and dismantling it is not something that will require effort on all fronts. A good place to start, however, would be re-thinking our current criminal justice system to create a world where we all feel safe, regardless of race or ethnicity.



Works Cited

Edwards, Frank, et al. “Risk of being killed by police use of force in the United States by age, race-ethnicity, and sex.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, vol. 116, no. 34. 2019, pp. 16793-16798. Doi: xml:lang="en-us" lang="en-us">

Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. HarperCollins, 2017.

Jets Close Reading

Passage: Bottom of 340 ("'Bitch--' I take a deep breath") to 343

This passage from Angie Thomas' The Hate U Give demonstrates that, as a black girl in a primarily white school, Starr must always remain calm and collected. Black people are often deemed “angry,” “hostile,” or “dangerous” for even the slightest lack of patience. The murders of black people are often justified by racist expectations that black people will behave poorly or dangerously, and thus Starr knows that even around her classmates, she must remain calm or else face suspicion and potential danger.

As a black woman at a primarily white school, Starr must always act calm, or else be seen as the "angry black girl" (340). Though Hailey does not restrain herself, Starr purposefully takes a deep breath to calm herself, demonstrating the thought and patience that goes into her every action (340). After Starr punches Hailey, breaking this rule of calmness, Starr’s mother tells her “this is exactly what They expect you to do. Two kids from Garden Heights, acting like you ain’t got any sense” (343). She too knows that black people are held to a much higher standard of being calm than white people, regardless of how angry they are or how poorly the white people behave. The restraint that Starr must show at school is that which all black people must show so they are not labelled as “violent” or “dangerous.”

The standard of calmness that Starr and all black people hold themselves to when in the presence of white people is not just a demonstration of patience and willpower, but a forced maneuver to survive. Starr’s incredulous repetition of Hailey’s suggestion to “get over [Khalil’s death]” (341) demonstrates their entirely different mindsets. Hailey thinks Starr is being overly sensitive, but to Starr, Hailey’s racism isn’t something one can just “get over,” because mindsets like Hailey’s lead to real-world consequences, such as the lack of justice over Khalil’s death, or his death itself.

To Hailey, Khalil’s death is not important, but Starr knows it is just one in the long pattern of black people being murdered, especially by police, because people expect them to behave dangerously. One real example is Freddie Gray, a 25 year old black man who was murdered after being arrested for possessing a knife. President Barack Obama went on to refer to those who protested his death as “criminals and thugs” (Smiley & Fakunle 2017). In the novel, Hailey similarly refers to Khalil as a drug dealer, suggesting that he “was probably gonna end up dead anyway” (341), as if his death is justified by his career. If black people put even one foot out of line, therefore, the consequences can be death, and many white people, like Hailey, see it as justifiable.

Earlier in the novel, we see Starr’s dad stopped by police and forced onto the ground when they hear him in an argument. It is a terrifying moment in which Starr believes that he could be killed, simply for not appearing completely calm (192-4). These attacks happen in the real world as well. A recent example is that of George Floyd, who was killed by police simply because they suspected he was using a counterfeit bill (George Floyd). The penalty for any level of suspicion by white people, then, can be murder, a threat which Starr has seen more than once. She knows that the consequences for even seeming upset could be very grave, something that Hailey and the other students do not face. In the real world, Starr losing her temper could mean immediate danger, simply because of her race.

It is the knowledge of all this systemic racism and the fact that people like Hailey believe that Khalil’s death was justified that stops Starr from being able to continue her calm facade. The moment that her anger transforms into action, as she punches Hailey, symbolizes her realization that she must use her voice to fight injustice. She has already used her voice to speak to authority figures about Khalil’s death, but in this moment, Starr’s only option left to demonstrate all her anger is to punch Hailey. She says “it hurts, but damn it feels good” (341), which might not only refer to the punch itself, but to the release of finally being able to speak out. She may face consequences for it, but finally fighting against injustices does feel good. Earlier in the novel, Starr’s dad explains to her that everything their community faces, including the silencing of their voices, has to be changed by all of them using their voices and speaking out (171). Though she has already spoken to authorities, this punch is another way to speak out. The moment that Starr punches Hailey demonstrates that she is no longer willing to be silent about racism and justice, even when surrounded by her white classmates.

In conclusion, this passage is important because it demonstrates how hard Starr tries to keep her temper even when faced with racism, knowing that black people are held to a much higher standard than white people. In the United States, the consequences for black people seeming even potentially dangerous or suspicious is often death. Freddie Gray and George Floyd are just two examples of the long list of black people murdered. However, keeping silent, as Starr’s father tells her, won’t change anything, and Starr punching Hailey is both a demonstration of her desperation and anger, and a moment of her “speaking out” against systemic racism. The message, therefore, is that we must speak out if we want anything to change. Remaining calm would have been safer, but Starr needed to fight against injustice, because nothing will change when we remain silent.

Works Cited:

“George Floyd: What Happened in the Final Moments of His Life,” July 16, 2020. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-52861726 .

Smiley, CalvinJohn, and David Fakunle. “From ‘Brute’ to ‘Thug:’ the Demonization and Criminalization of Unarmed Black Male Victims in America.” US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5004736/.

Oilers Close Reading

QUOTE : Maya swallows hard. “Do you remember that time she asked if my family ate a cat for thanksgiving?” “What? When?” Her eyes are glossy. “Freshman year. First period. Mrs. Edwards’s biology class. We’d just gotten back from Thanksgiving break. Class hadn’t started yet, and we were talking about what we did for Thanksgiving. I told you guys my grandparents visited, and it was their first-time celebrating Thanksgiving. Hailey asked if we ate a cat. Because we're Chinese.” Ho-ly shit. I’m wracking my brain right now. Freshman year so close to middle school; there’s a huge possibility I said or did something extremely stupid. I’m afraid to know, but I ask, “What did I say?” “Nothing. You had this look on your face like you couldn’t believe she said that. She claimed it was a joke and laughed. I laughed, and then you laughed.” Maya blinks. A lot. “I only laughed because I thought I was supposed to. I felt like shit for the rest of the week.” “oh.” “yeah.” I feel like shit right now. I can’t believe I let Hailey say that. Or has she always joked like that? Did I always laugh because I thought I had to? That’s the problem. We let people say stuff, and they say it so much that it becomes okay to them and normal for us. What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be? (pgs 249-252)

Discrimination through racist and micro-aggressive comments occurs in our society more than many may realize. Discriminatory and racist comments are an issue of human rights that creates or strengthens biases against certain racial groups, produce harmful stereotypes that can be damaging to the perception of self and can create new situations of conflict. Marginalized and racial groups become stuck in a cycle of oppression against them as micro-aggression becomes normalized in conversation. This passage in Angie Thomas’s, "The Hate U Give," depicts how easily people get away with contributing to discriminatory culture.

The discrimination of ethnic groups through racist comments is a human rights issue that is largely ignored by society. Such comments often classify ethnic and racial groups under harmful stereotypes. This can be damaging to an individual's social, emotional, and mental wellbeing. When these comments are accepted by society, it creates greater risks for the safety and security of racial groups. Through micro-aggressive discourse and biases, it corners marginalized individuals and can put them in situations of potential violence if they speak out against it. Many may not be aware that they contribute to this type of discrimination as it has become normalized in society through time.

In this passage of Angie Thomas’s, "The Hate U Give", the comments made by Hailey show how micro-aggressive and racist comments can easily be ignored overtime without anyone speak against it and the hurt it can inflict. When Hailey asks Maya if her family “ate a cat for Thanksgiving” (251) she is classifying all Chinese people under one hurtful stereotype. Hailey’s statement shows how racist comments can impact mental health, the tears Maya is holding back demonstrate the long-lasting emotional pain that Hailey's racist comment inflicted.

Maya comments that Starr had a look on her face like she “couldn’t believe she said that.” This shows that Starr did not agree, yet she and Maya both laughed it off. Starr and Maya laughing at the ‘joke’, they are essentially insinuating to Hailey that her comment was acceptable. The simple gesture of laughing along strengthens the cycle of discrimination and is a potential reason many may be ‘oblivious’ to the impact their comments can produce.

The novel is told through the narration of Starr. Characterization is an important literary strength of the novel that allows comparison of the responses of other characters with Starr’s thoughts and emotions. This is evident when Maya shares her experience with Hailey being racist. The novel being told from Starr’s point of view you can feel her immediate guilt. The tone becomes depressing and Starr questions how long she has stayed silent. Starr’s character development is showcased as she goes through her thought process, coming to terms with how long she’s been staying silent. The somber mood is replaced by emotions of optimism when Starr comes to a realization about the power her voice holds. “What’s the point of having a voice if you’re gonna be silent in those moments you shouldn’t be?” (252) This quote foreshadows Starr finding her voice to fight all the hate they give. Character development is evident as we compare freshman Starr fueling Hailey’s comment by laughing it off to Starr’s current thoughts and feelings towards justice for the hate they give.

Although discrimination based on race is a human rights violation, micro-aggression continues to repeat itself in discourse and casual conversation. Because the root cause for micro-aggressions has not been addressed on a larger scale, the issue of micro-aggression recognized day-to-day is not going to improve. Systemic racism is the root cause of micro-aggressions. In the U.S., black people have consistently been marginalized and discriminated based on their skin color, not just by everyday people, but by large corporations, the government, and social systems in the country. The underlying racist rhetoric and treatment of black communities, such as in the healthcare system, incarceration rates, and in law and order, establish stereotypes which are then repeated and disseminated to everyday people. Often white privileged individuals will repeat these race-related micro-aggressions, without recognizing the impact it makes on black people and marginalized communities. Those who are called out for their micro-aggressive comments will claim their comments are "just jokes" or not a big deal. In order to alleviate discriminatory behavior and language in micro-aggressions, first, the solutions need to begin with systemic racism. If the government and people continue to only provide band-aid solutions to racist micro-aggressive comments, they will never get better. In order to diminish systemic racism, first, the government needs to change the systems that are oppressing racial groups. Through remodeling the healthcare, law enforcement, criminal justice systems, among others, the racist rhetoric behind micro-aggressions will be dismantled. We as individuals can choose to educate ourselves, own up to our mistakes, use our voices as a tool to educate others, but that is not enough. Social and governmental reform is critical to obtaining change. As Starr demonstrates within this passage, the problem is within us is staying silent and letting these comments become normalized. What is the point of having a voice if we remain silent? It is time to speak out.

Work Cited
Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. HarperCollins, 2017.

Flames Close Group Reading

"I told the truth. I did everything I was supposed to, and it wasn't fucking good enough. Khalil's death wasn't horrible enough to be considered a crime.
But damn, what about his life? He was once a walking talking human being. He had a family. He had friends. He had dreams. None of it fucking mattered. He was just a thug who deserved to die." (pg. 388)

Our group chose this quote, relating to human dignity, because it evoked an emotional response from all of us. One of the worst ways to deny someone their right to life is by dehumanizing them, which is what the police and media did to Khalil, and this dehumanization mechanism has been what has allowed countless human rights atrocities in the US. The deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Jacob Blake, and more were justified by media and white supremacists by calling the victims criminals, the same as the narrative police detectives pursued in their questioning of Starr, and the interview with Officer 115's father. By calling someone a thug, this serves as an excuse to value their life less. Angie Thomas seems to portray this through the character of Hailey, who appears racist and ignorant in her defence of Officer 115's actions.

Additionally, in regard to the supporting characters of the novel, the author does an amazing job of showcasing just how blind and unobservant people can be to racial injustice and huge human rights issues. The entirety of Starr's prep school had no idea that Khalil had even been murdered until weeks later and then used the tragedy as a way to skip a few classes. The author is using this novel to tell us to wake up. To give our heads a good shake and to be more aware of just how bad minority populations have it in regard to human rights injustices such as; police brutality, poverty, under education, unemployment, and racism.

One of the sad themes that seems to be present in Starr's words is guilt. This manifestation of survivor's guilt can cause someone to blame themselves rather than the true perpetrator of the human rights atrocity, and Starr feels as though she failed Khalil to an extent by not receiving the outcome in the case she had hoped for. Very often human rights violations are not prosecuted for political reasons, but what is so admirable about Starr is that she does not stop fighting. She uses the power of social media to share with others what Khalil was like, and she does an interview that endangers her life in which she indirectly calls out King, the drug dealer/boss. In many ways, she has done more than the criminal justice system ever could have for Khalil.

The quote that our group chose came directly after Starr and her friends hear over the radio that officer 115 will not be prosecuted for the murder of their dear friend Khalil. Up until this point in the novel Starr has been scared to speak out. She has been nervous to come forward due to fear of being treated differently, that harm will come to her family, or that her statements won't have the correct effect. After realizing that all her efforts were for nothing, it instills a new fire in Starr that the author articulated wonderfully. This quote is the turning point as subsequently after this Starr goes on to protest in the streets with her friends. She finally speaks out, not caring about implications or punishments and ends up going so far as throwing a tear gas can back into the rows of police officers trying to end the protest.

Considering that Thomas wrote this book in 2017, she seems to foreshadow the racial unrest in the United States as a result of police brutality. These structural inequities are perpetuated by the tiered justice system. Just as the courts are unwilling to address the racism of Officer 115’s actions, the Kentucky court system recently refused to prosecute the officers who killed Breonna Taylor. There seems to be a pattern of racism within institutions throughout the book. The education system lets down Starr by failing to address the racist words and actions of Hailey. The police system attempts to divert and twist Starr’s story to justify Khalil’s shooting. The media system attempts to rewrite the story with the help of Officer 115’s father. Finally, the justice system fails her by refusing to indict 115. After all of these systems support and reinforce racism, Starr realizes she must take her agency back by engaging in protest, and raising awareness to let the public know the truth. This may be the glimmer of hope at the end of the story; that black people are able to usurp the structures that push them down. White allies, like Chris, can use their privilege to listen and lift up the disenfranchised.

This passage is powerful and packs a punch. Throughout the entirety of the novel we had all been silently hoping for justice however knowing full well that life isn't as perfect as empathic novels try to make it. The author's use of voice and tugging at readers empathy makes this novel a definite best seller. The novel touches on so many highly sensitive human rights issues within our world that it leaves readers raw with emotion.

Work Cited
Thomas, Angie. The Hate U Give. HarperCollins, 2017.

Imagine witnessing the murder of your best friend and holding his lifeless body as a gun, the same gun that killed him, is trained on you. Not only is this terrifying, but it is also a traumatic and haunting experience. In Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give, readers see this very thing happen to Starr and her trauma becomes a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. However, the lack of mental healthcare, a right under Article 12(1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), profoundly impacted Starr’s ability to cope with the murder of her friend. In this, we argue that the treatment Starr received at the scene was inadequate and that more support was necessary and should have been provided.

Overall, the prose of this section reflects that of someone who is relatively disoriented and in a state of shock. Readers can find evidence of this in the short, choppy phrases that are written at the beginning of this section and the slow manner through which Starr processes the things happening around her. An example of this comes when Starr’s parents meet her at the ambulance, as Starr does not register their presence until they are directly in front of her (27). In this way, the tone of this passage is tense and full of fear. Indicators of this do not only come from Starr’s voice but also the manner through which Thomas describes the body language of Starr’s parents, like the tense features of Maverick’s face (27). Moreover, the tone possesses a level of comfort and protectiveness. For example, Maverick’s arm acts as a shield for Starr while he escorts her to the car (27). In this way, Thomas uses this comparison to demonstrate that for Starr, her family represents safety and protection from the cops, paramedics, and on-lookers.

Under article 12 (1) of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Political Rights (ICESCR) Starr has a right “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” (The United Nations General Assembly, art.12(1). After Khalil was shot, Starr should have received mental health care. She should have seen a mental health professional to asses her situation and evaluate her. Instead, she was sent home with her parents like she was a small child who got sick during school. It seems that if this is how they treat Starr after this incident, they probably did not do anything when her friend Natasha was killed. Her school would send her to the school ‘shrink’ (Ms. Lawrence) after that, but the way she reacts when they do send her later in the book (pp. 114-115) it shows that the services don’t seem to help and Ms. Lawrence may not have all the tools that are needed in order to help Starr. Overall, Starr is not given the adequate help to get better in an optimal way.

The violation of Starr’s human rights under article 12(1) continues to demonstrate an extreme impact on her life throughout the novel. With having no access to professional help, Starr immediately begins having nightmares following the night of the Khalil’s murder (27). It appears that not only is she suffering from untreated trauma about Khalil’s death, but also Natasha’s. She describes these nightmares as ‘replaying the events of her friend's deaths’. This is potentially some PTSD that she is not receiving help with. When fixing a fight with her boyfriend Chris, he grabs her hand as a kind gesture. In this moment, she is faced with a flashback of Khalil’s death and the white cop who murdered him (83). With fear installed in her from this event, she cannot look at her boyfriend the same as he could never understand how the colour of her skin impacts her life (162).

To treat a problem, you must first trace back to the problem’s root cause. In this case the problem is Starr’s mental health after watching Kahlil and Natasha, her two best friends get fatally shot on two different occasions. After having to see these events, Starr takes an understandable hit to her mental health. This type of trauma could take years of correct therapy and treatment to fix; however, right from the moment Kahlil gets shot, Starr does not receive the proper aid. The night Kahlil gets shot, Starr is put into the back of an ambulance and is given no aid. The first bit of comfort and support she gets is when she hugs her mother (Thomas 25-26). The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) states in article 12 “The States Parties to the present Covenant recognize the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health” (ICESR 1976). This article applies in big and small events that effect mental health. This means even with such a huge traumatic event like Starr had to go through, the state still failed to uphold this article, proper treatment and initial response.

There is no doubt Starr had this right violated not just the night Kahlil was shot but following this event with the lack of checkups, resources, and support from the state. The state does not even try to uphold this right and seems to not care about Starr’s mental health. To combat this issue there are steps the state must take. The state must create easier access to mental health services in all communities and provide cheaper or free resources for mental health. Mental health should not be something only those with money can enjoy, everyone deserves to work on their mental health with professional support. Also, there should be trauma response teams to help in these scenarios. When someone is as closely affected as Starr was there should be trained professionals to help those who have experienced something so traumatic.







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Bibliography

The United Nations General Assembly. “International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.” Treaty Series, vol. 999, Dec. 1966.