by Faith Ringgold

Questions for Philosophical Discussion
by Liz Tabor
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Freedom:

In the story, the girl dreams that people are carrying bags "containing their prejudice, hate, ignorance, violence, and fear, which they intended to trade for hope, freedom, peace, awareness, and love."

1. Is there is anything you can only do if you are free?
2. What is the opposite of freedom?
3. Could there be "prejudice, hate, ignorance, violence, and fear" and freedom at the same time? Or do the characters in the book have to trade those in to gain freedom?
4. Could a free person ever feel prejudice? Hate? Ignorance? Violence? Fear?
5. Based on what we've said about freedom can anyone say what freedom is?

Equality:

There was once segregation laws that made it so that black people could not go to the same places and do the same things as white people. That is why, in the story, Martin Luther King could not go to the same school as the white boy or even sit down in the front of the bus.

1. There is a picture of a man holding a sign that says "separate is not equal." What does this mean?
2. For things to be equal do they have to be the same?
3. If people are different can they be equal?
4. Can you give me some examples of ways that people are not treated equally?
5. Do you ever feel that you are being treated unequally at school or at home?
6. Are there any situations where it is right for people to be treated unequally? What are some? Why are they right?
7. Based on this conversation what do you think equality is?

Race:

In the story, we saw examples of how black people were treated differently from white people because of their race.

1. What is race?
2. Does race matter?
3. What makes people different from each other?
4. In the story black people were treated badly by white people. This is called prejudice. Why is prejudice wrong?
   
   

Hero:

Some people consider Martin Luther King to be a hero.

1. Can you name some heroes?
2. What do the people we think of as heroes have in common with each other?
3. Does Martin Luther King have these traits?
4. Does a hero have to have these traits to be considered a hero?
5. Does a hero have to act like a hero all the time or can heroes have days off or make mistakes?
6. Often, heroes are working against something that they think is bad. In this book, Martin Luther King protests against the people who tell him he can't sit in the front of the bus and the police who put him in jail. If Martin Luther King is a hero does that mean that the people he works against are "bad guys?"
7. Can police be "bad guys?"
8. If a hero broke the law would he or she still be a hero?
9. When is it ok to break the law?
10. If a hero did break the law, should a police officer arrest him or her?
11. Based on this discussion what do you think a hero is? What does a hero do?

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