New film The Hate U Give is impressing audiences across the world with its fresh, realistic, and inspiring take on police brutality in America.
An adaptation of Angie Thomas’ stunning debut novel of the same name, expectations have been high -and However, when news of the film was first announced, it was faced with some online scepticism and claims of colourism at work – as Amandla Stenberg was cast in the role of main character Starr Carter.
On the original cover of the book, Starr is shown to have dark brown skin and an afro, while Amandla – who has a black mother and a white father – has significantly lighter skin than the illustrated interpretation. Though Amandla herself has spoken out on the issue of colourism (preference given to people of colour with lighter skin tones) in the film industry before, some accused the film of recreating the same problem.
Left – the original book cover; right – Amandla Stenberg as Starr
When Pride spoke to Angie Thomas while she was promoting the film in London, we asked her for her thoughts on this debate – and in her view, Starr didn’t have a specific ‘look’, or complexion type to begin with.
‘I wanted black girls to pick up the book, and no matter what they look like, see something of themselves in Starr,‘ she explained. ‘When I was writing it, I saw [Amandla Stenberg’s] ‘Don’t Cash Crop My Cornrows video, and I was finishing the book, and I remember thinking, everything that she has, everything that she stands for, I want Starr to have.’
More: Amandla Stenberg on colourism, Hollywood, and The Hate U Give
Amandla made a video in 2015 in which she broke down cultural appropriation as it applies to black hair. Though it was for a high school assignment, the video quickly went viral, introducing Amandla to a new global audience, as well as establishing her status as a young, ‘woke’ celebrity to watch. Angie Thomas was certainly watching with us all – so it felt like fate when Amandla became a fan of The Hate U Give, and was keen to be involved in the film.
‘She read the book, loved it and wanted to attach herself to the project and it just felt like it was meant to be.’
Despite Amandla’s suiting for the role, Angie went on to acknowledge that representation for darker skin tones in black roles does needs to be improved – and has hope for the future:
‘I’ll admit: colourism is a huge issue in Hollywood, and it’s something that needs to be addressed, for sure, but I also feel as if she was the perfect person for this role. She carried that character in such a beautiful way that I’m eternally grateful for. But Hollywood definitely needs to change, and I hope that it does.’
The Hate U Give is in cinemas now
