Run: Book One

Why does Lewis devote so much space, so early in the book, to the Watts riots? What particular role do those events play in the evolution of the movement?

Evaluate the character of Stokely Carmichael. How does Lewis portray him, especially in light of his taking the chairmanship of the SNCC away? Does Lewis portray him fairly, and which do you think has the stronger argument?

How does the Vietnam War impact the civil rights movement? Do you think Lewis was right to take a public stand against the draft?

What are some of the dilemmas that arise from activists relying on politicians in Washington to achieve their goals? Was there an alternative strategy for them to accomplish their goals without relying on the goodwill of the federal government?

Why does Lewis place more focus on the international dimensions of the civil rights movement? How do events abroad shape the struggle for racial equality in the United States?

How does the civil rights movement change after the passing of the Voting Rights Act? In what ways might it be easier to fight for justice with the effective end of formal segregation, and in what ways might it be more difficult?

Do you agree with Lewis’s insistence on nonviolence as both a tactic and a moral principle? Do you find anything compelling in Carmichael’s argument that nonviolence is only as valuable as the political goals that it advances?

Why is Lewis ousted as chairman of the SNCC? Do you agree that after three years of leading the organization, he was no longer the man for the moment, or should he have been given one more term?