Research the issue of racial profiling in contemporary America and then explore the reasons why the mall security guard and the Cincinnati police think Izzy is a threat.

Investigate the history and the psychological implications of lynching and the African American civil rights movement. What does the noose signify? Use the different reactions of characters, Black and white, to construct an analysis of the noose as symbol.

As a first-person narrator, Izzy defines her character through the vehicle of her voice. Voice is important in civil rights history. Compare the first and last chapters of the book. How has Izzy’s voice changed?