The Hate U Give: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

It is the day of Khalil’s funeral. The parking lot is packed when the Carters arrive, and Starr sees multiple people dressed in “RIP Khalil” t-shirts. The Carters wear suits and dresses. Starr feels uncomfortable in Christ Temple, which the family stopped attending years ago in favor of a more “diverse” church, where the service is led by a “white guy with a guitar.”

Pastor Eldridge greets the family and looks at Starr with pity. Starr feels her legs trembling and a wave of nausea as her family gets in line to approach Khalil’s open casket. She counts down the remaining people in front of her with increasing dread, until finally the moment arrives. The Khalil inside looks like a mannequin of himself, lacking the spark and dimples she knew and loved. Starr flashes back to seeing Natasha in her casket years before, remembering her horrified screams for her friend to wake up.

A woman wearing one of the “RIP Khalil” t-shirt and exhibiting an air of authority directs people to their seats. Starr feels like a “phony” when her family is seated in the front row of the church, a place of honor for Khalil’s friends. She stares at the flower arrangements and photos of Khalil as she knew him, as the young boy who used to play with her and Natasha.  Pastor Eldridge leads a service for Khalil, framing the day as one of joy. The choir sings and nearly everyone except for Starr joins in. Friends of Khalil’s whom Starr has never met go to the front of the church to tell stories about him that Starr has never heard. She feels even more unworthy of her seat.

The authoritative woman who led them to their seats then gets up to addresses the church. She introduces herself as April Ofrah with Just Us for Justice, an organization calling for police accountability. She tells the church that the police have no intention of arresting One-Fifteen, and that Khalil was unarmed at the time of his death. This latter statement in particular causes unrest throughout the church; confused murmurs are quickly replaced with people shouting that “this is bullshit.” Ofrah then invites people to join a march past the police station after the ceremony.

King, Iesha, and a group of King Lords suddenly enter from the back of the church. Iesha wears heavy makeup and a skimpy black dress, and Starr can sense the tension between her parents in that moment. Iesha, a prostitute, is the “Achilles heel” of their marriage; Seven is the result of a “for-hire” session between her and Maverick.

The group walks to the front of the church and one of the King Lords lays a gray bandana across Khalil’s chest. A furious Mrs. Rosalie snatches the bandana and throws it back at King, calling him a demon and screaming for them all to leave. Iesha calls Mrs. Rosalie an “old hag,” and reveals that King offered to pay for the funeral. Mrs. Rosalie says she refused the “filthy money” and scorns Iesha for entering a church. The King Lords leave.

Starr is appalled to think that Khalil could have become a King Lord, knowing how much pain and violence gangs and drugs have wreaked on Garden Heights. She is also confused; though King Lords “crown their fallen comrades” with a gray bandana, the inside of his car was green — the color of the Garden Disciples. Starr feels even more guilt for abandoning Khalil when he was alive, positing that she could have talked him out of joining a gang. She admits to herself that Khalil was her first crush, as well as one of the best friends she ever had, no matter how little they saw each other.

After the funeral, protestors outside of the church hold signs demanding “Justice for Khalil”, “Am I Next?”, and “Enough Is Enough.” News vans have arrived as well. Maverick says he wants Seven and Sekani to be a part of the march, but Lisa insists on taking Starr home. April Ofrah approaches the Carters and offers to help Starr with legal representation. She asserts that the case is about to get national media attention, and she wants to help protect Starr’s privacy.