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The Hate You Give Film
The Hate You Give (2018) does not raise new dimensions about police brutality, and racial profiling of black people do not already know about. For decades now, racism has been a problem in American society. The film confirms the extent of racism and demonstrates first-hand how innocent victims end up losing their lives. Police brutality has become so rife that a life is lost to gun violence nearly every other day. For story showcased in The Hate You Give (2018) is no different. Starr witnesses her childhood friend get murdered by a white police officer. The police thought he saw Khalil Harris reach out for a gun, but it was a comb. The police officer is sent on paid leave, and a grand jury that decides the case agrees not to indict him. This sparks uproar in Starr, who was the only witness to the murder. She is conflicted about embracing her blackness and fighting for justice for Khalil or keeping quiet as her life is being threatened. The scenarios in this film depict an accurate picture of what is happening in current society. Violence and brutality is the same, just that the names are different. To mention a few, the cases of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd mimic the story of Khalil, who in the film was killing a white police officer. Sadly, the very people entrusted with keeping people safe are the same people that are responsible for their deaths. As such, the perspectives remain the same, nothing much has changed about the debate over police brutality and racial profiling.
Hailey’s reaction to Starr’s struggle over Khalil is absurd. Hailey seems not to understand her friend, and she takes the entire issue lightly. Without a doubt, her reaction is a product of white privilege. Hailey being white means that she has never had to encounter racism a single day in her life. She is from a well-off background, and she attends a good school. This means that she cannot relate to the problems of black people. On the day when classes were canceled to hold demonstrations for Khalil, Hailey seemed happier about not having to deal with the Mathematics teacher than the real cause of pushing for justice for Khalil’s murder. Hailey pretends to understand what Starr is going through, but the truth is that she has no idea what being black is all about. While Hailey has had the perfect childhood, Starr has watched two people get murdered in front of her eyes. Hailey does not empathize with her friend’s rather she feels pity for the police officer’s family. She thinks that the police officer’s life is more important than Khalil’s life.
Speaking up comes off as an important theme in the film. Initially, Starr is conflicted because she has two personalities and she is living a lie to fit in her school, where most students are predominantly white. While at home, she suppresses her whiteness and while in school she hides her blackness. After she witnesses her friend gets murdered, she is afraid to speak up and help fight for justice. She is afraid because her life is being threatened by the drug kingpin in her neighborhood at Golden Heights. Khalil was selling drugs for the kingpin, and he did not want the police to know about his dirty dealings. At first, Starr does an interview, but her face is blurred to conceal her identity. Later that evening, his father has an altercation with the police while having dinner as a family. She watches as her father gets harassed by the police, and this is the turning point. After this incident, she finds her voice and joins the demonstrations. At the demonstrations, she openly stated that she was the witness who said Khalil get murdered. This is her first step to boldness, and from here she rises up and openly condemns police brutality. One can use their voice to advance social justice by speaking up against police brutality without fear of being reprimanded. Current society is making progress towards addressing inequality; however, the problems continue to be rife in society. There is a need to adopt new strategies in attaining this goal, including changing the mindset of the people as it is the only way to build an equal society.
