Angie Thomas

For me, hip-hop was a mirror when young-adult books were not. I could see myself in a Nas song more than I…

— Angie Thomas

“What is Tumblr anyway? Is it like Facebook?" "No, and you're forbidden to get one. No parents allowed. You guys already took…

— Angie Thomas

“I suddenly remember how different I am from most of the kids here. Nobody would have to drag me or my brothers…

— Angie Thomas

“Slave masters thought they were making a difference in black people’s lives too. Saving them from their “wild African ways.” Same shit,…

— Angie Thomas

“I asked Dr. Davis if Just Us could have a roundtable discussion at Williamson like they do at Garden High. He said…

— Angie Thomas

“But we can’t,” he says, voice strained. “Not like this.” “Why not?” I slip my hand in his pants, heading for the…

— Angie Thomas

Initially, I wanted to write middle grade. YA scared me: there's a lot of responsibility in being a YA author. It's so…

— Angie Thomas

When I was in college, I lived in a mostly black, poor neighborhood. That's where I grew up, but I attended a…

— Angie Thomas

“Williamson Starr doesn't use slang - if a rapper would say it, she doesn't say it, even if her white friends do.…

— Angie Thomas

“Please give her peace and courage. As much as I wanna ask you to work this case out a certain way, I…

— Angie Thomas

“Daddy claims the Hogwarts houses are really gangs. They have their own colors, their own hideouts, and they are always riding for…

— Angie Thomas

“Ever since, I don’t have to decide which Starr I have to be with him. He likes both. Well, the parts I’ve…

— Angie Thomas

“What, you think if you live next door to them, they'll treat you different?" "Why does it always have to be about…

— Angie Thomas

“Maya’s boyfriend, Ryan, happens to be the only other black kid in eleventh grade, and everybody expects us to be together. Because…

— Angie Thomas

“With everything that’s going on, what can she say? “Sekani saw cops harass his daddy, but he’s doing so well in school.…

— Angie Thomas

The way you speak should not determine your intelligence. I should be able to say 'lit,' and you still know I'm intelligent.…

— Angie Thomas

In the YA community, we are fighting for you and alongside you. When you make your voice heard, we're gonna be even…

— Angie Thomas

You just have to find your activism, and don't let anyone tell you what that should look like. If you're doing the…

— Angie Thomas

“It's not bravery if you don't feel fear, right? If you're not afraid, then you're not really forcing yourself to do something…

— Angie Thomas

“With King Lords, we had a whole bunch of folks who had our backs, no matter what. They bought us clothes and…

— Angie Thomas

“To every kid in Georgetown and in all “the Gardens” of the world: your voices matter, your dreams matter, your lives matter.…

— Angie Thomas

A lot of people are quick to say that saying 'black lives matter' makes you anti-cop. All lives should indeed matter, but…

— Angie Thomas

“DeVante’s got a point. What makes his name or our names any less normal than yours? Who or what defines ‘normal’ to…

— Angie Thomas

Of course, my mom is my biggest and loudest cheerleader, and my family and friends are happy for me, but I'm still…

— Angie Thomas

I knew there were calls for diversity in children's lit, but you always wonder as a person of color, how diverse is…

— Angie Thomas

“My heart pounds loudly, but Daddy’s instructions echo in my head: Get a good look at the cop’s face. If you can…

— Angie Thomas

When you say, 'Southern,' or you speak about a southern accent, there's always that drawl, and usually from white people. That's what…

— Angie Thomas

“They act like I’m the official representative of the black race and they owe me an explanation. I think I understand though.…

— Angie Thomas

“I told you guys my grandparents visited, and it was their first time celebrating Thanksgiving. Hailey asked if we ate a cat.…

— Angie Thomas

“Yeah. A li’l damaged, but alive. I’m gon’ try something different with them. Putting them in new soil can be like hitting…

— Angie Thomas

“Like I said, at Williamson I'm cool by default because I'm black. I can go out there and do a silly dance…

— Angie Thomas

“I walk into the most heartfelt hug I’ve ever gotten from somebody who’s not related to me. There’s not any sympathy in…

— Angie Thomas

“A silver cross pendant hangs from his neck, like he’s saying Jesus endorses what he did. We must believe in a different…

— Angie Thomas