The Hate U Give Lesson Plan

Do you think it matters why Khalil sold drugs? Why or why not?

Khalil sold drugs to pay King back on his mother's debt. He didn't want to join the King Lords. But does that matter? Would his life have been worth less if he was part of a gang? What if he sold drugs simply to get money that he couldn't get elsewhere--does that mean he deserved to die? It may be easier to feel sorry for Khalil knowing the specifics his situation, because we are trained to think that certain actions make people "good" or "bad." A gang might not be good, but that doesn't mean it makes sense or is ethical for a cop to murder a gang member at a traffic stop. This is part of why the Black...