The Hate You Give is a movie produced by Angie Thomas and based on the same novel. It is a portrait and projection of fundamentals giving a backdrop of the current situation that America is facing. The movie orchestrates the prejudice of justice by killing Khalil Starr’s friend shot by a police officer in cold blood as a matter of race. Race and ethnicity are very prevalent in the American justice system today, and it is more common to Black Americans and other racially diverse individuals (Fletcher and Hernandez-Gantes 2). The movie is well adapted to the current situation as it reveals themes of racial, social, and cultural issues which society needs to eradicate.
The Hate You Give movie reveals society issues, particularly how society can be cruel even when one wants to amend his/her ways and make right for the errors they did. Maverick’s decision to walk away from crime brews contention after deciding to leave his gang because he has children. As a result, he is imprisoned for a crime he never committed for him to be allowed to leave the gang. After three years, he finds it difficult to integrate back to society, contrary to the expectation that he is a reformed man. He sails back to society with many constraints, which serves as a perfect example of how society is repulsive and judgmental to an ex-convict.
The movie also sheds light on police brutality and how after committing homicide, they can walk scot-free. The events reminisce of prior police brutality before the inaction of a law that allowing the reporting of homicide by police officers. Khalil is shot and killed in the movie by a police officer who stops him after failing to signal a lane change. This shows how the police have clouded judgment on the black community and associates the black community with the crime. Police are killing many innocent black people, yet the truth is suppressed not to surface, just as the police officer who kills Khalil escapes justice. This act reveals how stereotyping has been used to justify acts of violence by police and other people against the black community.
Culture has been revealed in great magnitude in the movie as the precursor of stereotyping by law enforcement. The blacks have a manner of dressing that they are identified with and a manner of speaking English expressed as slang. However, it is the black’s culture to speak slang and drees like a black. Starr complains that they have been robbed of their culture by the white community. Aprilia states that “experiencing racial discrimination for a long time may make the oppressed justify acts of oppression” (1). The Black culture is revealed through their singing style, slang speaking, and black fashion elevated on the white’s perception and injustice. White Americans have always been given an upper hand, and even when they follow Black American culture, it is deemed as being cool.
The racial progress in America has been revealed in the movie to be gloomy. Many black communities believe that slavery continues to prejudice their rights and, more so, to weaken their position. Maverick speaks to Starr of denied opportunities and resources that blacks are denied, which continues to entrap blacks to the shackles of poverty. Furthermore, the movie reveals how poverty has been racialized such that many of the black communities are forced to sell drugs to be able to eradicate poverty, and as a result, they are hated for that. Starr’s dilemma to navigate through their black world and their temporal white world in Williamson Prep proves that fact. More than 56% of Americans believe that the former president Donald Trump made the relationship between white and black Americans worse, with 15% feeling he tried and 13% saying he tried and failed (Horowitz et al.). This serves as a clear indication of how racism has intensified in the last couple of years.
Another aspect of society prevalent in the movie is the act of oversize body shaming. Women, in particular, suffered body humiliation, as discussed in the context of the movie. In the current society, it is no different, with a study showing 60% of women are struggling with their weight (Puhl et al. 26). Society has made it unbearable for overweight women to the point that bodyweight is defining women. This has led to the situation where many women change their skin color and undergo surgery to have looks that society seems to cheer.
Although The Hate You Give drama has many praises, it also has many critics. Some critics might argue that the movie is nothing more than a plot to attract a fan base. Others might feel that the movie does not highlight urgent political distress. Furthermore, some critics believe that the movie does not represent the entire community landscape, which may cause a rift between whites and blacks. However, according to Clarisa (1), The Hate You Give is a true representation of the struggle black people go through to end racial profiling. Therefore, it is indicative that the movie has succeeded in showcasing the troubles of the Black community and other race’s battles against white superiority in American society.
The entire movie examines how society rides on stereotyping of the black community to justify vices in the society, such as violence, racism, and prejudice. The evil acts upheld against the blacks are used to safeguard the whites, such as Starr’s classmates. In conclusion, discrimination is perpetuated racism, and the entire society has solemn responsibility to end evil acts. Justice is essential, and every human being is entitled to justice, fair treatment, and an equal share of the societal resources for a better society with zero conflict.
Works Cited
Aprilia, Ririn. “Internalized Racism in Angie Thomas’ The Hate U Give”. Jurnalmahasiswa.Unesa.Ac.Id, 2020.
Clarisa, Wella. “RACIAL PROFILING IN ANGIE THOMAS’ THE HATE U GIVE”. Journal.Stba-Prayoga., 2020.
Horowitz, Juliana Menasce et al. “Views On Race In America 2019”. Pew Research Center’S Social & Demographic Trends Project, 2019.
Puhl, R. M. et al. “Missing The Target: Including Perspectives Of Women With Overweight And Obesity To Inform Stigma‐Reduction Strategies”. Obesity Science & Practice, vol 3, no. 1, 2017, pp. 25-35. Wiley, doi:10.1002/osp4.101.