With no other high-paying opportunities available to a young black man living in Garden Heights, Khalil felt forced to turn to drug dealing, just as DeVante felt forced towards the gangs to find a kind of family and sense of community. He was trying to protect his mother by helping her pay off a debt she had to King after stealing from him. It takes the perspective of another self-described “thug,” DeVante, for Starr to understand what drove Khalil into the dangerous business. She didn't understand how he could enable the kind of destructive addiction that affected his mom so much. In the beginning of the novel, Starr was angry at Khalil for choosing to get involved in selling drugs. If I were them, I’m not sure I’d make a much better one.” Starr, p. Neither of them thought they had much of a choice. In addition, moving does not devalue Maverick’s commitment to helping others. As Lisa points out, it’s possible for Maverick to help the community even when he doesn’t live there. There are frequent drive-bys, such as the one that killed Natasha. However, they’re aware of the dangers of Garden Heights. Garden Heights is susceptible to poverty and violence, and because Lisa and Maverick have a strong family bond and serve as mentors to young people like DeVante, they want to remain in the neighborhood to continue this assistance. On the one hand, they both want to help the other people in their community. Lisa’s argument reflects the internal struggle that both Lisa and Maverick feel about their decision to move out of Garden Heights. You need to figure out what’s more important, your family or Garden Heights. But moving out of the neighborhood won’t mean you’re not real and it won’t mean you can’t help this community. That’s why I bust my butt every day at that clinic. “I want my kids to enjoy life! I get it, Maverick, you wanna help your people out. While Maya, for example, listens to Starr and understands why her participation in the Williamson protest was offensive, Hailey refuses to accept Starr’s argument and gets angry instead. She is blinded towards her own mistakes by defensiveness and a fear of being called a racist. Furthermore, Hailey refuses to engage in conversation with Hailey or Maya about why her remarks were offensive to them. Hailey refuses to grasp that people who are not intentionally racist can still say comments that are in fact racist, or at the very least culturally insensitive. Hailey and Starr’s friendship experiences many tensions and ultimately ends, in part because of Hailey’s insensitivity toward issues of race. “Ho-ly shit, Starr! Seriously? After everything we’ve been through, you think I’m a racist? Really?” Hailey, p. Both Lisa and Starr understand that the investigation will fit into a larger narrative of leniency for police violence. At the moment that this question is asked, Starr realizes that the investigation will not be fair or unbiased.
In addition, the officers ask Starr questions about Khalil’s background, such as whether or not he was involved in selling narcotics.
The investigation that Starr participates in does not end up finding fault with Officer Cruise, even though the narrative Starr supplies clearly indicates that Cruise shot at Khalil when he was unarmed and had not threatened Cruise. Both of us know the same thing: This is gonna be some bullshit.” Starr, p. “Fifteen minutes later, I leave the police station with my mom. In addition, Starr’s thought process here, as she and Khalil are stopped by the violence, foreshadows the violence that is to follow. They have the talk with Sekani later, even though he is even younger.
#The hate you give thug life quote how to#
Starr’s parents must talk to Starr about how to behave around police as a minority when she is just twelve years old. Furthermore, young age offers no protection from the mistreatment. Even though the national stereotype is that police violence is committed against men, it’s evident that brutality at the hands of the police can affect women and girls at well. This quotation expresses the pervasiveness of police violence and mistreatment of minorities. One was the usual birds and bees.The other talk was about what to do if a cop stopped me.” Starr, p. “When I was twelve, my parents had two talks with me.