Angie Thomas, the American author of the Number 1 New York Times Bestseller “The Hate U Give” gave a talk to a packed room of schoolchildren at Clapham Library last week. Thomas’ debut book has made headlines by addressing the issues of police brutality, institutionalised racism and prejudice, all in a book aimed at teenagers and young adults. In her talk, she discussed one of her heroes – Tupac, and how the issue of racism needs fixing – and that young person can help to bring about that change.
Angie Thomas, born in Jackson, Mississippi, talked about growing up near the home of Medgar Evans, a civil-rights activist who was killed in 1963. Her mother, who was at Clapham library too, remembers hearing the gunshot that killed the hero for justice. It was this, and the shootings of countless unarmed black men by police, that inspired her to try and make a difference through writing.
In a Q&A after the talk, Thomas revealed that the main character of Starr was loosely based on herself. Both Angie Thomas and Starr grew up in poor, predominantly black neighbourhoods deeply damaged by gang violence. She also talked about her next book, which will be based on a rapper (her childhood dream job) and the upcoming The Hate U Give film, which is in production.
The message that came through from the talk was that adults can make it seem as though teenagers can’t make a difference, that isn’t true. Teenagers have a more power than ever, and by using it to change the world, great things can happen. To take a line from the book – “What’s the point in having a voice if you’re gonna be silent?”
