Angie Thomas

For Angie Thomas, an often-ignored aspect of Christianity is the boldness of Christ. Christ went against the grain of his time and proclaimed God’s truth, and this boldness is part of what inspired Angie to share the stories she felt were being ignored around her. 

The author of the New York Times-bestselling book The Hate U Give, a groundbreaking novel on police violence and the struggles of the African-American community, Angie began her writing career at her Christian college. Angie found that living and learning in a Christian higher education community brought her closer to expressing her own truth, both in her relationship with God and writing about the world around her. In a conversation with one of her professors, Angie was inspired to write about the issues that were close to her own heart. Seeing parallels with the community she grew up in and her own identity as a black woman, Angie felt the need to share her experiences with the world. 

Inspired to address injustice, Angie wrote the short story that would one day turn into a best-selling novel while helping shape the national conversation on race and crime. Angie knows the subject matter is controversial, but she finds her the strength to persevere in Christ. Despite being one of the most-banned authors in the country, Angie knows that she is called to share her truth as a Christian. Attending a Christian college equipped her with a Christ-like boldness to say what she felt needed to be said, and is a part of her that can never be taken away or diminished.