The brisk cold air and the light dusting of snow could not stop the over 400 people who came to see renownedΒ two-time bestselling author Angie Thomas at the Rose Theatre last night in Toronto.
Though the room was filled with both young and old book lovers of all backgrounds and ethnicities, Thomas made one thing clear, Black voices and Black stories matter.
ββIβm not here to educate white people on diversity,β said Thomas. βIβm here to tell the stories that have been left untold in the Black community and give a voice to the voiceless.β
Thomas, who is promoting her second book,Β On The Come Up, spoke to the audience for over an hour about the book, her characters and her writing process, comparing the publication of her new novel to giving birth.
βIβm happy this new kid is here,β joked Thomas. βNow Iβm pushing her out into the world to grow and thrive.β
On The Come Up, follows sixteen-year-old Bri who wants to be one of the greatest rappers of all time. Or at least make it out of her neighbourhood one day. As the daughter of an underground rap legend who died before he hit big, Briβs got big shoes to fill. But now that her mom has unexpectedly lost her job, food banks and shut off notices are as much a part of Briβs life as beats and rhymes. With bills piling up and homelessness staring her family down, Bri no longer just wants to make itβshe has to make it.
In her new novel, Thomas returns to the make-believe neighbourhood of her first novel,Β The Hate U Give, Garden Heights. While both her main characters live in Garden Heights, the two girls are very different, yet they each realize the power of their voice.
βWords have power and they have the ability to go far,β says Thomas. βI want little Black girls to know this and to show them how important and amazing they are.β
InΒ On The Come Up, Briβs journey is essentially the journey of Hip Hop, from its foundation in the streets of New York to where it is now. Thomas takes us through the ups and downs, the good and the bad, allowing the reader to feel the love and overpowering emotion of the music.
βHip Hop is something that grew from nothing,β says Thomas. βIt is anything but simple and Briβs journey follows that journey of growth and development into something beautiful.β
The book has been described as a musical love letter and an ode to hip hop culture and music. While the room was filled with praises for both of Thomasβ books and the movie adaptation ofΒ The Hate U Give, Thomas also touched on the reality of her first book being banned.
In late 2017,Β The Hate U GiveΒ was banned by school officials in Katy, Texas for βinappropriate language and contentβ and pulled from the shelves of libraries in the district. The move gathered widespread condemnation prompting studentΒ NyβShira LundyΒ to start a petition, collecting more than 4000 signatures to restore the book.
βI donβt mind being banned,β explains Thomas. βIβm in great company, Maya Angelou was banned, Toni Morrison was banned, all of my heroes have been banned. They donβt want us to tell our stories because it makes them uncomfortable, but Iβm okay with making them uncomfortable.β
While Thomas only hinted at theΒ identity of the main character in her third novel, one thing was crystal clear: she will continue to tell the stories that need to be told, stories that show our heroes as heroes and not villains.
βEmpathy is more powerful than sympathy,β says Thomas. βThe fact is that if more of our leaders read books about black people we wouldnβt have to say that Black Lives Matter.β
Angie Thomasβ tour is coming to an end but you can check out her full tour scheduleΒ here
Lalaa Comrie is a relentlessly helpful Copywriter & Productivity Coach on a mission to help creatives organize their biz and let go of stress, clutter, and the plague crappy content.Β Download her FREE Email Marketing Writing GuideΒ and learn how to enchant your readers and win more business. When sheβs not slinging sentences sheβs helping black girls everywhere find their next epic read atΒ www.thisblackgirleads.ca
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