Quotes by Angie Thomas

I’ve seen it happen over and over again: a black person gets killed just for being black, and all hell breaks loose. I’ve Tweeted RIP hashtags, reblogged pictures on Tumblr, and signed every petition out there. I always said that if I saw it happen to somebody, I would have the loudest voice, making sure the world knew what went down.Now I am that person, and I’m too afraid to speak.

One of my biggest influences as a writer is J. K. Rowling. I grew up with Harry Potter. One thing I absolutely loved was how every single person in Harrys world was so three-dimensional—it was as if each one was the main character in his or her own story and was just making a guest appearance in Harrys story. I strive to do that as a writer. I want every side character to be the main character of his or her own story.

Daddy once told me theres a rage passed down to every black man from his ancestors, born the moment they couldnt stop the slave masters from hurting their families. Daddy also said theres nothing more dangerous than when that rage is activated.

empathy is more powerful than sympathy

I suddenly remember how different I am from most of the kids here. Nobody would have to drag me or my brothers to the Bahamas; wed swim there if we could. For us, a family vacation is staying at a local hotel with a swimming pool for a weekend.

He got a tan over break. I used to tell him he was so pale he looked like a marshmallow. He hated that I compared him to food. I told him thats what he got for calling me caramel. It shut him up.

When I was twelve, my parents had two talks with me.One was the usual birds and bees. Well, I didnt really get the usual version. My mom, Lisa, is a registered nurse, and she told me what went where, and what didnt need to go here, there, or any damn where till Im grown. Back then, I doubted anything was going anywhere anyway. While all the other girls sprouted breasts between sixth and seventh grade, my chest was as flat as my back.The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me.Momma fussed and told Daddy I was too young for that. He argued that I wasnt too young to get arrested or shot.Starr-Starr, you do whatever they tell you to do, he said. Keep your hands visible. Dont make any sudden moves. Only speak when they speak to you.I knew it mustve been serious. Daddy has the biggest mouth of anybody I know, and if he said to be quiet, I needed to be quiet.I hope somebody had the talk with Khalil.

At an early age I learned that people make mistakes, and you have to decide if their mistakes are bigger than your love for them.

The way you speak should not determine your intelligence. I should be able to say lit, and you still know Im intelligent. I should be able to say turn up, and that doesnt take away from my intelligence. I wanted to break down that stereotype a little bit.

From my anger, frustration, and hurt, I wrote the short story that would later become The Hate U Give.

“Good-byes hurt the most when the other person’s already gone.”