The Hate U Give takes place in 2016, in Jackson, Mississippi. The movie is centered around Starr Carter, a 16 year old African American woman who attends a predominantly white school. One night, she goes to a party and it ends badly when someone pulls out a weapon and everyone scatters. Starr runs off with her friend, Khalil, who offers her a ride home. During the car ride, the two get pulled over by a police officer and it results in Khalil getting shot. The officer shot Khalil because he believed that Khalil being black made him dangerous.

That’s what this movie is about, racism and what is wrong with the world. It shows an inside perspective on racism and how African Americans deal with it. Throughout the movie, Starr is faced with the decision to keep quiet about the fact she was there when Khalil was shot, or to speak out and be his voice. If she speaks out then everyone at her school could judge her but if she keeps quiet then Khalil could never get justice. This is the challenge that Starr is faced with during the entire movie. Starr evidently decides to speak up, which results in the gang Khalil had connections with, to retaliate threatening Starr and her family.

Before Starr speaks up, she is faced with the difficulties inside her school. Starr’s white friends use Khalil’s death to skip school, and this incident is what pushes Starr to speak up about what happened. She ends up going on the news to talk about what happened, and stays anonymous for a while, keeping her face blurred on the news. However, after a while, the public finds out her identity. She gets threats from multiple people after speaking up and being found out, she hides away for a bit, realizing she can’t hide forever.

A protest begins towards the end of the film, with Starr as the main speaker. She is seen standing on a car and speaking through a megaphone. Starr starts shouting about Khalil and what resulted in his death. The protest becomes a riot and Starr participates in the violence as she throws tear gas back at the police. 

Watching this movie is so heart touching, and Starr serves as a leader, role model, and idol in standing up for Khalil and breaking through every obstacle. She never once regrets speaking up, she stands strong to get justice for Khalil. That’s why I’d recommend this movie, because it provides the audience with a deeper understanding of the racism and discrimination that many people of color face and how one voice can fight for justice in the face of adversity.