The Hate U Give: Chapter 16 Summary & Analysis

Five weeks have passed since the shooting, and April Ofrah has arranged for Starr to do an interview with national news anchor Diane Carey. A limo picks the Carters up from Garden Heights, and as they drive away Starr is heartened to hear her neighbors shout words of encouragement. Lisa has made everyone dress up as if they are going to church, and instructs them on how to speak at the studio. Chris texts Starr asking what color her prom dress is, but Starr has been too distracted to think about that; Ms. Ofrah has had her prep for her interview every day after school. Starr has also been helping at Just Us for Justice, and listening in on their staff meetings to learn more about police reform and protest tactics.

The Carters arrive at the studio, and the producers film some clips of Starr walking and talking with Diane Carey. Starr feels odd, remembering watching Carey on the news every night as a child. The interview itself takes place in a large, fancy suite. Carey asks Starr about the Khalil she knew, and Starr gives a heartfelt account of Khalil as a big-hearted, normal kid.

Though Ms. Ofrah had warned Starr not to go into too many details, and in spite of King’s threats, Starr hears Kenya’s voice in her head and decides to tell the world why Khalil sold drugs. She brings up Brenda’s drug addiction, and says Khalil only dealt to get his mother out of debt with the most powerful drug dealer in Garden Heights. To the shock of her parents and Ms. Ofrah, she has dry snitched on King; anyone watching from Garden Heights will know exactly who she means.

Starr continues, telling the world that Khalil was not in a gang. Thinking of DeVante, Starr asserts that even if he were, that does not make his killing acceptable.  The media has been treating him unfairly, she says, effectively putting him on trial for his own murder. Starr goes on to detail the night of Khalil’s death, asserting that there was no gun in the car, that she and Khalil posed no threat to One-Fifteen, and that the officer pointed his gun at her after killing Khalil. She says she does not hate cops, but is tired of them assuming black people are dangerous. These assumptions are what killed Khalil. Remembering Ms. Ofrah’s words that speaking out is the way Starr can fight for justice, she ends the interview by wondering whether One-Fifteen wishes he had shot her too.