Maverick Carter and the Black Family Man

  

     While inherently a story about Starr Carter and her relationships with those around her following a tragedy, The Hate U Give provides an interesting portrayal of a family-oriented Black man in Maverick Carter, Starr’s father. Living in Garden Heights, referred to repeatedly as “the ghetto” (Thomas, 197), there is an immediate assumption that a man like Maverick would abandon his family or fail to move forward in life, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Maverick’s role in Starr’s life is incredibly large, as he works not only to provide for his family on a surface level but also to protect them, and to help his community.

    Far into the novel, when Starr’s witnessing of Khalil’s murder begins to affect her life more directly, Maverick makes it a point not only to try to shield her, but to help other inhabitants of Garden Heights. When a news reporter stations themselves outside of Mr. Lewis’ store, Maverick actively tries to dissuade him from speaking to them, lest he put a target on his back. He doesn’t manage to stop him, and Mr. Lewis ends up snitching to the reporter about the city’s gang activity, but even so, he tries to explain to Mr. Lewis what he’s done, calling him a “ dead man walking” (Thomas, 126).

        Furthermore, regarding protecting the community, Maverick makes it a point to hire young men in the city at his store, hoping to bring them a steady income and a routine to keep them out of trouble. He does this first with Khalil, and continues to do so with DeVante after the former is killed. He also gives DeVante one of Starr’s old laptops to help him with school. Maverick actively tries to ensure that the young Black men in the community can find a good stride and in turn provide for their families, and their communities the way he does, breaking stereotypes and making names for themselves.

As events in Starr’s life get more and more heated, her father is eventually harassed by police officers himself. While he is wrestled to the ground for no reason other than being related to Starr, he still worries more for her and her brothers than for himself. “His expression apologizes for the fact that we have to see this,” (Thomas, 128). While actively being harassed by the police, his instinct remains to care for his children, and to worry about how their witnessing him being harmed might affect them.

Maverick Carter shatters any and all preconceived notions about Black men and how they interact with those around them. He owns a business, cares for those he loves, and works to ensure others around him can end up like him. He gives back to his community, and Thomas’ crafting of his character like this is imperative to the strength of the novel.

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