As a story of police brutality, finding your place and using your voice, The Hate U Give is one of the most urgent, and affecting films of 2018.
And author of the book, Angie Thomas, has created something truly special in its inspirational tale of standing up for what you believe in, and using your voice to make a difference, no matter who you are. With the title taken from late rapper Tupac’s THUG LIFE mantra (‘The Hate U Give Little Infants F***s Everybody’), Thomas is clearly inspired by social justice messages in his music.
However, during the press run for the film (in cinemas now), Thomas revealed to Pride that as well as Tupac, one of her life’s major artistic influences were also TLC – and in their bold messages, they inadvertently lent a lot to the creation of this story.
‘TLC were everything to me!’ she began. ‘In in some ways, compared to my current inspirations like Maya Angelou, or Terry MacMillan, or so many black women authors, TLC is a little different – but to me, it was something about seeing these young black girls who knew who they were, they owned their power, and they weren’t afraid to use it.’
https://youtu.be/0lU28800drU
Amandla Stenberg: ‘I want to make younger black girls feel more represented’
In The Hate U Give, lead character, Starr (played by Amandla Stenberg), is faced with the tough decision of whether to step into some serious, public activism after witnessing the fatal shooting of her friend Khalil (played by Algee Smith) by police, or to stay quiet and carry on as usual. Though it’s tough to disrupt her life, Starr knows she can’t just let things stay as they are – and part of that influence comes from the spirit of the 90s R&B sensations.
‘TLC were black feminists before we were really talking about black feminists a lot!’ says Angie Thomas. ‘They were speaking up for what they believed in, and they never backed down…
‘They empowered me in such a way, and it let me know, that even as a young black girl, I had a voice and I could use it, even through my art if I saw fit.’
We’re so glad Angie Thomas listened to that lesson from the group – rather than ‘sticking to the rivers and the lakes that she’s used to’, she’s given the world a wonderful example of how important it is to step up and make a difference.
The Hate U Give is in cinemas now
