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Debra Cartwright illustrated the cover art for The Hate U Give
The cover art illustrator for The Hate U Give has said she “wasn’t exactly thrilled” with the casting of the film adaptation.
Debra Cartwright illustrated the cover for Angie Thomas’s young adult novel, which was published in February 2017.
Hunger Games star Amandla Stenberg was cast in the lead role in the film, which will be released later this year.
But some fans were unhappy with her casting as she has a lighter complexion than the character in the book.
The Hate U Give tells the story of a 16-year-old girl who is the only witness to the fatal shooting of her unarmed best friend by a police officer.
“I was hoping it would be a very brown-skinned actress, because there’s so little opportunities in these big movies for darker-skinned actresses,” Cartwright told Vulture.
She added that when initially deciding what the protagonist would look like for the book cover, she “literally just followed exactly what they said in the book”.
Whilst she believes Stenberg is a “great actress” and thinks the film is going to be “wonderful”, Cartwright thinks the film’s adaptation could affect fans of the book.
“To see that the actress is not that description, that would annoy me as a reader, especially if I was a teen. If I saw that, as a teen, it would be very disheartening, a little damaging,” she added.
When news of the film’s casting hit Twitter, people weren’t too impressed and it sparked a debate about colourism.
The book’s author, Angie Thomas also hit back at critics, tweeting that she’s just glad the book was published in the first place.
Last month, Thomas said she always imagined the protagonist as Stenberg.
“Amandla was cast as Starr before there was a cover. When I was writing the book, I imagined Amandla,” she said.
Thomas also said she didn’t have control over the cover.
“We have a long way to go in publishing as far as representation matching what the author says sometimes.
“But with me, Amandla is Starr. She embodied that character in so many ways, and I can’t see anyone else playing this role,” she added.
Amandla has also spoken out about the controversy in an Instagram post.
“I want those who are worried to know they are seen and heard,” she wrote.
“The lack of diversity within the black girl representation we’re finally getting is apparent and it’s NOT ENOUGH.”
“And I understand my role in the quest for onscreen diversity and the sensitivity I must have towards the colourism that I do not experience.”
BBC