American History X ending explained

What happens

The morning after Derek persuades Danny to leave the movement and rewrite his essay, Danny is shot dead in a school bathroom by a Black student he had clashed with. Derek's change comes too late.

The last image

Derek holds Danny's body while Danny's voiceover finishes the essay, ending on Lincoln's plea that we are not enemies, but friends.

What it says

Hatred is learned and passed on, and unlearning it can't undo what it has already set moving. The film ends on this loss, and on Danny's words, so you notice who is teaching and who is listening.