Stereotypes in the Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

In the book, The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, 16-year-old Starr Carter navigates the tumultuous events that ensue after her best friend is shot dead before her eyes by the police. Significantly, this novel revolves around seeking justice for the wrongful death of a Black individual, and standing up against racial discrimination. Thomas uses the narrative to explore stereotypes, arguing that assumptions made on race can lead to tragic events. This resonates deeply in today’s society due to the pervasive acts of violence against people of color.

While discussing Khalil, Starr’s friend Hailey labels him a drug dealer. Starr reflects on this, noting, “The drug dealer. That’s how they see him. It doesn’t matter that he’s suspected of doing it. ‘Drug dealer’ is louder than ‘suspected’ ever will be. If it’s revealed that I was in the car, what will that make me? The thug ghetto girl with the drug dealer?” (113). This quote illustrates the unfortunate trend of prematurely branding people of color as criminals without learning the whole truth.

The term “drug dealer” implies criminality, revealing how assumptions were made about Khalil based solely on his race. In particular, the important aspect that he was only suspected of drug dealing is ignored, either intentionally (by law enforcement) or unintentionally (by Starr’s friends). The term “louder” suggests emphasis and highlights how these assumptions strongly shape stereotypes of a person. Moreover, it demonstrates how a person’s racial background can lead to others making false accusations about that individual. As a result, Khalil is perpetually seen as a drug dealer who was rightly killed during a police encounter, despite the lack of sufficient evidence to support this. One Monday morning, Hailey and Maya try to confirm whether Starr received the message about protesting Khalil’s death. Hailey laughingly admits, “Yeah,” Hailey says, all giddy and shit. “Perfect timing too. I so did not study for that English exam. This is, like, the first time Remy actually came up with a good idea to get out of class. I mean, it’s kind of messed up that we’re protesting a drug dealer’s death, but…” (183). This quote reveals how young individuals sometimes exploit protests against racial violence as a convenient excuse to skip classes, despite having little regard for the individual whose death they are protesting.

The term “giddy” connotes frivolity, suggesting that despite the tragic circumstances, Hailey fails to grasp the gravity of the situation. She is simply using the protest as an excuse to skip class and does not genuinely care about Khalil’s murder. Being white, Hailey trusts whatever information the police and media have released regarding Khalil’s death. Moreover, the term “drug dealer” implies violence, indicating that Hailey stereotypes Khalil as a malevolent person and believes his death was just. Based solely on his race, she deems Khalil a drug dealer and concludes that his death was unworthy of protest. This mirrors a common perception that police encounters involving Black individuals are justified. Overall, this reflects the harsh reality that stereotyping often serves to legitimize the death of a person of color, regardless of the circumstances. Stereotypes can even contribute to constructing a negative image of individuals of color, further serving to justify acts of violence against them.

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