The protagonists, Angel and Isaiah, are dedicated to justice, equality, and progress throughout the novel, but at first, they have different ideas about what “justice” means, which types of change are possible and when, and what the best strategies are to achieve the desired changes. Each character’s stance on these issues is represented through their favorite author, which they argue about often. Isaiah prefers W. E. B. Du Bois’s direct, bold, fast approach to change:

Du Bois spoke to Isaiah’s longing for an active role in the future of his people. Like Du Bois, he was tired of waiting […] Tired of pretending proper in front of ravenous white folks while they drained his community of its hard work and culture. […] And tired, most of all, of anticipating the next attack (14-15).

Isaiah thinks that because there is so much to be done, it needs to start happening right away. Moreover, he doesn’t think slower change guarantees safety because he senses racial violence approaching even in the idyllic Black community of Greenwood.

Conversely, Angel prefers Booker T. Washington’s compassionate, measured, slower approach. Angel thinks it’s best to implement changes slowly and steadily so as not to fuel the fires of racial tension or put too much stress on people who have been through historical trauma.