Michael Brown - when he lost his life, there was more focus on what he had done sometimes than what was done to him.

Angie Thomas

Categorized in : Life Sometimes Done Focus

I look at books as being a form of activism. Sometimes they'll show us a side of the world that we might not have known about.

being look sometimes world

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

frustration anger hate hurt

I want you to realize your voice matters.

realize your you voice

I wanted to have a book that showed there's no one way to sound black. I wanted to tell teens that the way you speak is okay; you're good the way you are.

good you black book

Literature plays a huge role in examining difficult real-life issues.

role difficult huge literature

You just have to find your activism, and don't let anyone tell you what that should look like. If you're doing the work, and you're getting someone to think, you're on the right path.

look you path work

I think that the more of us who take the time to understand how someone else is feeling, the more likely we are to resist alongside them.

feeling understand think time

I wish when I was 15 that I realized my voice was important and that even my thoughts and my opinions had value. Had I known, I probably would've spoken up more. I probably would've found my activism sooner and become a writer sooner.

value thoughts voice wish

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

you intelligence speak way

I really do hope 'The Hate U Give' provides mirrors for readers who don't often get them in books. I've had so many young black girls tell me just how thrilled they are to see someone who looks like them on the cover. I hope that they see themselves in the pages as well.

me black hate hope

Representation makes a difference.

makes difference representation

For me, hip-hop was a mirror when young-adult books were not. I could see myself in a Nas song more than I could see myself in a book.

mirror myself me song

We see organizations that target young black men to give them direction in life, but so often, black girls are missed. I wanted to represent them.

direction black men life

Art is activism.

activism art

Initially, I wanted to write middle grade. YA scared me: there's a lot of responsibility in being a YA author. It's so important to give that age range the right books that reflect their world and show them themselves.

me responsibility age world

We're seeing young people find their own voices and find their activism.

find own young people

A lot of people are quick to say that saying 'black lives matter' makes you anti-cop. All lives should indeed matter, but we have a systemic problem in this country in which black lives do not matter enough.

you black problem people

Basketball requires discipline. So does writing. Basketball requires practice. So does writing. Basketball requires resilience. So does writing.

does discipline practice writing

Writing is a form of activism.

activism form writing

Trayvon Martin was 17, Mike Brown was young, Tamir Rice was 12. And so young people are affected by it, possibly the most affected, because they're seeing themselves.

because seeing young people