MS HR169

Recognizes and commends Angie Thomas, a Jackson, Mississippi native and Belhaven University graduate, for her accomplishments as an author, producer, speaker, activist, and philanthropist

Highlights her debut novel "The Hate U Give" (2017), which won the Walter Dean Myers Grant in 2015, debuted at Number 1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and was adapted into a 2018 film by Fox 2000

Acknowledges her additional bestselling works including "On the Come Up" (2019), "Concrete Rose" (2021), and collaborative collection "Blackout," all addressing themes relevant to Black youth experiences

Notes her personal background of experiencing gun violence as a child in Jackson and growing up near the home of civil rights activist Medgar Evers, which influenced her writing career

Directs copies of the resolution be furnished to Angie Thomas and the Capitol Press Corps