People like Angie Thomas

Angie Thomas (born September 20, 1988) is an American young adult author, best known for writing The Hate U Give (2017). Her second young adult novel, On the Come Up, was released on February 25, 2019.

Angie Thomas was born on September 20, 1988, in Jackson, Mississippi where she was raised.

Thomas was subjected to multiple instances of gun violence at a young age. She grew up near the home of assassinated civil rights activist Medgar Evers, stating that her mother heard the gunshot that killed him. When she was six years old, Thomas witnessed a shootout.

In an interview with The Guardian, she recounted how her mother took her to the library the following day to show her that "there was more to the world than what [Thomas] saw that day". This inspired her to take up writing.