The Power of Angie Thomas’ Words
Angie Thomas is an incredible young adult (YA) author. Her books The Hate U Give and On the Come Up are both New York Times bestsellers. Through her incredible writing, Angie Thomas has inspired many and continues to inspire all those who read her books. She is an amazing author and an amazing person, a perfect role model for anyone aspiring to become a writer.
Early Life
Angie Thomas was born September 20, 1988, in Jackson, Mississippi. Thomas was raised by her mother Julia Thomas as well as her grandmother. While growing up in Jackson, she was introduced to the culture of hip-hop and rap. It caught her attention and she became a rapper. She started her rapping ‘career’ at the age of 9 and her mother was her manager. Thomas performed an odd number of times and gave interviews to her local radio and newspapers. During her time as a rapper, she went by the names Young Short-A and Da Lil’ Lady Pimptress. She found acute success and was featured in an article in RightOn! Magazine in 2003. During a recent interview with the author, she spoke about rapping in her younger years. “I didn't actually pursue rapping as a career. While I enjoyed listening to hip-hop and admired the art form, my focus was always on writing.” she continued, “However, I do appreciate the influence that hip-hop has had on my work.” (“Did you enjoy being a rapper while you were younger?” prompt)
Although Thomas did not attend high school as she was home-schooled because of mental health illness due to bullying, she excelled in school. Before the years of being home-schooled, she attended Johnson Elementary, Northwest Middle School, and Brinkley Middle School, all in Jackson, Mississippi. She continued her education and was accepted into Belhaven University. While at Belhaven, she studied creative writing and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2011.
Her Writing Journey
She didn’t know it at the time, but her short story that would turn into her novel The Hate You Give was written at Belhaven University. She wrote the story while in a class being taught by Joe Maxwell. During her interview, what inspired her to write “The Hate You Give was born out of a deep-seated desire to give a voice to young people who are often overlooked, misunderstood, and marginalized.” (“What inspired you to write 'The Hate You Give'?” prompt) Thomas uses her writing as a voice for those who can not speak up, she wants to convey the stories of those who can’t. Her bestseller The Hate You Give was written and worked on while she was working at New Horizon Church International in Jackson, as an assistant to the Bishop. Thomas said in an interview with The Guardian “When I started the book, I thought about what was the most traumatic thing in my life.” (Tim Lewis, Angie Thomas, author of The Hate You Give:‘Books play a huge part in resistance.’) Her books are based on her life and experiences, and during the writing process, she tries to recall her own memories for inspiration. She said “The trauma I experienced has given me a deep empathy for those who have suffered loss and injustice. It has also fueled my desire to use my writing to give a voice to the voiceless and to promote social change.’ (“How did experiencing a murder as a young girl, affect your life or change you?” prompt)
Thomas’ book was so popular with readers all over the world that The Hate U Give was turned into a screenplay for a movie. It starred Amandla Stenberg, who originally acted in the Hunger Games. The movie was released on October 19, 2018. With the book being turned into a movie, Angie Thomas was able to share her message with a broader audience, furthering the impact of the book.
Activism
In an interview with the Guardian, it was mentioned that “When she was young, Thomas felt a lack of black authors.” (Afua Hirsch, Angie Thomas: the debut novelist who turned racism and police violence into a bestseller) So she set a goal for herself when becoming a writer, she wanted to write stories of people of colour. Through her goal, she made a huge contribution to the YA genre by writing books with a black protagonist. As an activist herself, it was incredibly important for her to write stories that kids could read with characters like themselves. She mentioned that when she was 6 years old, “ I was at the park, and two drug dealers decided to recreate the wild west with a shootout.” (Afua Hirsch, Angie Thomas: the debut novelist who turned racism and police violence into a bestseller) Thomas just barely escaped getting hurt in the crossfire when this happened. After telling her mom, the next day, “her mother walked her down to the local library to show her that there was more to the world than what she saw that day.” (Katherine Arthaud, Angie Thomas: Writing to make a difference) What her mother did for her that day changed her life, books became her escape from the world. Thomas says this is what inspired her to take up writing. Thomas wanted to create a book she wished existed when she was younger. “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.” (Angie Thomas)
Angie Thomas is an inspiring young adult author known for her bestsellers "The Hate U Give" and "On the Come Up." She started her writing career with a desire to give a voice to marginalized young people and inspire them with her writing. "The Hate U Give" was especially impactful for younger readers as it was based on her own life and experiences. She aimed to make a difference in the YA genre by writing stories with black protagonists, reflecting her activism. Her work has impacted thousands, if not millions of people through her powerful words.
Works Cited
Arthaud, Katherine. “Angie Thomas: Writing to make a difference.” The Charlotte News, 25 March 2021, https://www.charlottenewsvt.org/2021/03/25/angie-thomas-writing-to-make-a-difference/. Accessed 17 September 2024.
Hirsch, Afua, and William Boyd. “Angie Thomas: the debut novelist who turned racism and police violence into a bestseller.” The Guardian, 26 March 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2017/mar/26/angie-thomas-the-debut-novelist-who-turned-racism-and-police-violence-into-a-bestseller. Accessed 17 September 2024.
Jacobs, Kathy. “Mississippi Author Angie Thomas – The Hate U Give.” Mississippi Writers and Musicians, 21 September 2018, https://www.mswritersandmusicians.com/mississippi-writers/angie-thomas. Accessed 17 September 2024.
Lewis, Tim. “Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give: 'Books play a huge part in resistance.'” The Guardian, 27 January 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/jan/27/angie-thomas-the-hate-u-give-interview-famous-fans-readers. Accessed 17 September 2024.
“What inspired you to write the book ‘The Hate You Give’?” prompt Google Gemini, 1.5 Flash, Google, September 12, 2024,
“Where did Angie Thomas go to high school?” Homework.Study.com, https://homework.study.com/explanation/where-did-angie-thomas-go-to-high-school.html. Accessed 17 September 2024.
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