Thomas employs allusions reflecting brokenness and historical injustices to convey that systemic racism contributes to the cyclical nature of crime and poverty.

The title itself is an illusion to a phrase coined by rapper Tupac Skakur. Star and her father discuss Tupac's acronym THUGLIFE ("The Hate U Give Little Infants F*cks Everybody") as they drive one evening. In chapter 10, Starr's father wants her to recognize that the "oppressed" must find a path to empowerment, and people like Tupac seek to "uplift black people."

Starr's father also uses an allusion to the Black Panthers to demonstrate how the government has historically targeted those who seek to "educate and empower the people." He urges Starr to consider other historical examples of empowering the oppressed, and she recalls the Nat Turner Rebellion, which is another allusion. All of these examples show that systemic racism creates a culture where the oppressed eventually rise in resistance, and these movements are sometimes linked to criminal activity.

You might also consider the allusions to the struggles of the Black community, which creates conflict between Starr and Hailey in chapter 14. Maya tells Starr that Hailey has unfollowed Starr on social media because she posts too much "black stuff." There are allusions to Emmett Till, the Birmingham church bombing of 1963, Fred Hampton, and Bobby Hutton. These deaths represent the continued threat against Black people, yet Starr's white friend Hailey finds those tragedies too "annoying" to view on her social media pages.

Unlike Hailey, Starr cannot simply walk away from these stories, because they reflect the historical ways justice has failed Black people. These struggles are cyclical, repeated from generation to generation with different victims. The lack of opportunities for Black people is historically evident through these allusions, which contributes to greater rates of poverty and crime.