Let Us March On

What was your initial impression of Lizzie? What about her stood out to you the most?

There’s a line from page 94 that reads: “There were human lives at stake, and I felt compelled to do more than just sweep rugs and dust counters all day.” Many people feel their life consists of the mundane, i.e. getting up, going to work, paying their bills, etc. Do you think there is room in your life to do more to help the “human lives at stake”?

This line comes up a few times throughout the novel: “When the most vulnerable members of our society are in trouble, then the rest of us have an obligation to safeguard them the best we can.” Discuss how this applies to the average person who doesn’t have vast political power or the ear of those who do.

What do you think of the following exchange between Lizzie and the President from page 120? “Lizzie, the leaders in your race are constantly speaking against segregation, so why should I segregate a race or minority?” the president countered. “I’m running for the presidency of the United States and all its people.”

On pages 130-134, Lizzie and Kathy discuss opposing perspectives on how “Negroes” were portrayed in the book Gone with the Wind. What did you think of this exchange? Were you surprised by Lizzie’s perspective of the book? Overall, do you agree with Lizzie or Kathy regarding Black people’s portrayal in literature or other media?

The imagery of birds is used throughout the novel. At one point, FDR even gifts Lizzie a canary. What do you think the significance of those moments were?

Overall, did this book inspire you at all? What did you learn from reading it? Would you recommend it to others? Why or why not?