EXTENSIVE READING PROJECT

Maria Luis Silva nº16

João Gomes nº10
Joaquim Guerra nº12

 “ THE HATE U GIVE ” – ANGIE THOMAS

This book tell us a story of a 16 year old girl, named Starr and how she divides her life
in two different worlds: her problematic neighbourhood, inhabited by black people like
her, and her fancy high school on a white neighbourhood. She tries to balance these two
sides of her life, but everything falls apart when her best friend Khalil is killed by a
policeman, while Starr witnesses everything. She is scared of coming forward and talk
about what happened, until the police officer is sentenced innocent and people start
marching and protesting for Khalil and every victim of this kind of situation, she
decides to give an interview and testify in court. She has the help of an attorney that
works for an association called “Just us for Justice” that fight against injustices and
daily abuses towards black people and racism victims. Even though she told her story
and Khalil’s, justice never came and the policeman wasn’t considered guilty, this type of
injustices happens over and over again.

CHARACTERS:

Starr is the main character; she lives in Garden Heights with her family. Her dad,
Maverick, is a man of the community, he likes living among his people. He cares a lot
about his family and educates his children based on a black philosophy. Her mother,
Lisa, is a nurse. Even though she is strict about her children, we can conclude that she
gets really concern about Starr and what is best for her. Her uncle, Carlos, is her
mother’s brother and serves as a father figure to Starr, since her father went to prison.
He works as a police officer and he doesn’t like Maverick’s perspective of black and
white people, leading to some conflict between them.

Khalil is Starr’s childhood best friend. Even though during the book he is seen like a
drug dealer and member of a gang, Starr never believed that and she remember him like
a sweet and funny friend that she grew up with.

She goes to school to a fancy college where she met her two besties, Maya and Hailey.
She also has a white boyfriend, called Chris, and she is scared of telling her father
about him because he wouldn’t approved.

When Starr has to come forward with what happen, she is helped by an attorney called
April Ofrah, that works with “Just us for Justice”, and encourages Starr to use her
voice to activism.

Kenya, is Starr half-sister. She helps star come to reason when it comes to Khalil, she
doesn’t like the fact that Starr didn’t have the courage to talk about what happened and
admit that she was the one in the car with Khalil that day. She tells Starr the truth that
Starr didn’t want to face.

MAIN MESSAGE:

The key lesson we take from the story is that we should never judged a person from its
cover. They criticize the way society uses stereotypes of black people to justify violence
and racism against them.

In the book they use Khalil as an example to show us the typical police approach
towards black people, their racism and brutally. They describe the struggles of those
involved in cases of injustice and how they find the strength of speaking up for what
they believe.

They pass on that everyone should be treated equal regardless of our wrongful
perceptions of others.

 REAL LIFE EVENT

Breonna Taylor

Breonna Taylor (June 5, 1993 – March 13, 2020) was born in Grand Rapids, Michigan,
and worked as an emergency medical technician.
 Breonna Taylor was fatally shot by officers from the Louisville Metro Police
Department (LMPD).
The Breonna Taylor incident occurred on March 13, 2020, in Louisville, Kentucky.
Breonna Taylor, a 26-year-old Black woman, was fatally shot by police officers
executing a no-knock search warrant at her apartment. The officers involved were
Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison, and Myles Cosgrove. The search warrant included
Taylor's residence due to suspicion of drug activity and because a car registered in
Taylor's name had been seen parked in front of Glover's house on multiple occasions.
During this incident, Breonna Taylor was with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker.
Louisville police stated they identified themselves upon entering the house after
knocking and announcing themselves as Louisville police with a search warrant.
However, neighbors and Taylor's family dispute this, claiming there was no
announcement and that Walker and Taylor believed someone was breaking in, leading
Walker to act in self-defense. Walker, a licensed gun owner, fired first, hitting an officer
in the leg. In response, officers fired over 20 shots, hitting objects in the living room,
dining room, kitchen, hallway, bathroom, and both bedrooms. Taylor was shot at least
eight times and pronounced dead at the scene.
Following Breonna Taylor's death, there were widespread protests and calls for justice.
The case gained national attention, with many demanding accountability for the officers
involved. One of the officers, Brett Hankison, was fired in June 2020 for "blindly" firing
10 rounds into Taylor's apartment. In September 2020, a grand jury indicted Hankison
on charges of wanton endangerment, but none of the officers were charged directly in
connection with Taylor's death.
The handling of the case led to further discussions about police reform, racial injustice,
and the legal system's treatment of such incidents. The incident and its aftermath have
played a significant role in shaping conversations about police accountability and the
need for change in law enforcement practices.

 STAND UP FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUALITY

Can our voice be a weapon to fight for racial justice and equality?

Yes, I think despite progress, racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related
intolerance, still remains in all societies around the world and deeply affect the lives and
human rights of millions of people.

When we raise our voices in solidarity we are standing up for the victims of racism and
we are joining their fight for racial justice and equality. While silence is indifference
and contributes for continuing racial discrimination and oppression, those who speak
up, their voices, help give the victims of racism courage to keep on fighting against the
injustices.

Only by raising our voices together can we break this silence.

Let’s stand with to those who face racism and listen to their experiences and concerns.
Let’s combat fake and harmful discriminatory narratives and ensure that everyone’s
voice is taken into account. Our diversity is a source of strength, never a threat.

Join us and add your voice to demand action against racism and racial discrimination.