The Hate U Give By Angie Thomas

When is it okay to question the authority of law enforcement? We learn from a young age that cops are supposed to be the ones we run to for help, and yet we’re constantly finding them being involved in a routine stop gone wrong. We constantly hear about the different times an African American person has lost their life after they were pulled over by a police officer. The novel turned movie ‘The Hate U Give’ by Angie Thomas helps portray an ounce of what families go through when they lose their loved ones to racial injustices. Losing a loved one will always be life altering especially when you learn that they were killed by a police officer. The people closest to you will live through the hardest moments after that. Witnessing your childhood

In a family dynamic there is always going to be events that although you have no control over them, they can alter your life. Living in a drug lord infiltrated neighborhood and a bad school system is why Lisa pushed for them to at least go to Williamson Prep. Maverick didn’t want to move away from where he grew up because he believed that they could bring change to Garden Heights. Khalil’s death created an enormous stressor as it brought emotional pain to many. Starr, a sixteen-year-old witnessing her friend get killed changed her life. Lisa withholding Starr from fully grieving the loss of her friend can be a major stressor as bereavement is the only way to release any suppressed emotions. However, Lisa was just concerned for her daughter’s safety. Before deciding to come out as the witness Starr found herself conflicted because she didn’t want people to pity her for being a black girl living in the ghetto and witnessing her friend get murdered. When Starr decided to come out as the witness, she knew how life altering it could be especially because she was living a double life. The fear of the drug lord coming after Starr could potentially put their whole family at

In the case of Starr, we find her “Controlling her emotions generated by the stressors” (Bush, 2020, p. 14) by taking deep breathes to calm herself. In many moments during the film, we find her grasping for air internally but remembering to breathe ultimately helps her. Going to another school and playing basketball was also a helpful way to cope. Lisa’s way of coping with everything involved “Direct action” (Bush, 2020, p. 14) which was wanting to move. Luckily, her brother was a cop. Uncle Carlos was a police officer who cared about the well-being of his niece. Unfortunately, his way of thinking reflected to the one of a cop. Maverick coped by putting his family above anything or anyone. He never lost sight of the importance of his kids and of what Starr had experienced. He always “Promoted independence and self-esteem” (Bush, 2020, p. 14) by encouraging his kids to use their voices as they carried power. Khalil coped by making sure his ill grandmother and brother didn’t struggle. Working for King wasn’t the best but it’s what allowed him to provide some stability. He had dreams of his own but smiled and seemed okay up until he died. Finally, Sekani, he seemed to not know what was happening up until King confronted his dad outside the burning store. His way of coping was shown through frustration and possibly anger as he took the gun from his dad and proceeded to