‘The Hate U Give’ author votes in Mississippi Senate race

RIDGELAND, Miss. – The author of the young adult novel “The Hate U Give” says a remark by a Republican candidate in the Mississippi senate race reveals the state still has a long way to go when it comes to race issues.

Angie Thomas was voting in Tuesday’s election.

She voted for Democrat Mike Espy, who’s facing Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith.

Earlier in the campaign, Hyde-Smith praised a supporter by saying, “If he invited me to a public hanging, I’d be on the front row.”

The state has a history of racially motivated lynchings, and the comment angered many in the black community.

Thomas says the remark shows that “Mississippi still has a long way to go.”

Thomas’ book details the killing of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer. A movie based on the novel was released this year.