March: Book One

What challenges did Lewis’s social movement face, both internally and externally? How did the tactics employed by the activists to combat these challenges change over time?

What is “institutional racism”? How does it differ from “individual racism”? How does the book explore both these topics?

Read the following quote from Martin Luther King Jr. and explain how it applies to the graphic novel: “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

What correlations can you draw between the events described in March: Book One and modern issues of civil rights and social justice? What lessons can modern social justice activists take from the life of John Lewis?

What methods proved most effective in enacting change to the law and systems the activists were challenging? Why were they so effective?

Choose one historical event detailed in the graphic memoir and explore it further. What influenced this event, and what were the later effects of this event?

What is the climax of this narrative? Why did the authors choose this to serve as the climax of the book?

What is the effect of framing the book within the context of President Barack Obama’s inauguration in 2009? Why did the authors choose to tell the story through the lens of this day?