This reflects the strong sense of community felt by those who live in Garden Heights, even after their neighborhood has faced physical and emotional destruction. At the end of the novel, when Starr and her friends and family work to rebuild Maverick’s store, they are supported by cries of encouragement from passerby. The theme of community is significant to the novel, as seen in the way that Garden Heights residents draw together in the face of unspeakable tragedy. At the end of the novel, Starr accepts that injustice might continue but reinforces her determination to fight against it. The activist group that Starr joins is called Just Us for Justice because it fights against police maltreatment on the basis of race. Starr and Maverick in particular are focused on bringing justice not only for Khalil but also for African-Americans and other oppressed groups, such as the poor. Race is tied into this theme of injustice as well, since pervasive racism prevents African-Americans from obtaining justice. The police are unjust at other points, too, such as when they force Maverick to the ground and pat him down.
The fact that Khalil was unarmed and did not threaten the officer makes his murder unjust.
Khalil’s shooting and the ongoing investigation of Officer Cruise put the theme of injustice at the forefront of the novel.