The Hate U Give is about a Black high school student who struggles with identity and trauma after she witnesses a police officer shoot and kill her friend. The book, however, is still available for students to read on their own if school libraries choose to carry it. "This book is problematic given its language content," Joe Bishara wrote in an email to an official with the Education Department on Jan. 25, 2023. The Hate U Give does depict violence against a Black individual and some Black characters use the N-word. CBC News contacted the Education Department for an interview to clarify how and when the decision was made, but it was unable to accommodate the request.
