MARSHALL, Tex. — When the light at University Avenue is green, drivers can pass Wiley College without a glance. There was a time, however, when this small black liberal arts college here caught the attention of a nation: in the 1930s, Wiley’s polished team of debaters amassed a series of victories over white competitors that stunned the Jim Crow South.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/05/education/05wiley.htm...f=slogin&oref=slogin

WOW- That is an incredible story.
I sincerely hope Wiley will be able to capitalize EVEN MORE from this production to pull it back up to being a functional, well maintained HBCU.

This is wonderful and a must see film.It's the kind I want to purchase for my collection after it comes out on DVD.

Coming to a Theater near You


We bet that you thought the Franklin Library @Fisk only checked out dusty, old books. The library also spent time collaborating with David Bomba, Production Designer for The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington. Stars include Washington, Forest Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, and Kimberly Elise. Set for release on Christmas Day 2007, the film chronicles the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, originator of the first debate team, at HBCU Wiley College in Marshall, Texas. During the 1930s, Professor Tolson coached the students from the position of rank novices to the status of an elite debate team. Their efforts culminated with a landmark invitation to debate Harvard University’s championship team.

During the library’s research process, Beth Howse, Special Collections Librarian, discovered one of the original debate programs. In addition, she unearthed another interesting historical fact about Melvin B. Tolson. Tolson attended Fisk from 1918 to 1919 before transferring to Lincoln University.

Bomba contacted Fisk Franklin Library because the Fisk Debate Team debated Wiley College on several occasions. For example, in 1930, after nine debates between the two colleges, Fisk debated Wiley in Houston before a crowd of 1,500 people. The Library’s Special Collections department provided programs, articles and photographs that document the events and offer historical context. The film’s production staff used Fisk photographs to design costumes that reflected the attire of student debaters and sets that were similar to debate locales of the era.

So far, the Library staff has not received an invitation to the premiere, but they are looking forward to seeing the Library’s name when the credits roll.

Dr.Jessie C. Smith, Fisk University

Dec. 22, 2007

By SALATHEIA BRYANT
The Houston Chronicle


PROFILE: HENRIETTA BELL WELLS



'Great Debater' overcame odds to bust barriers
The team's sole woman and last survivor grew up in the Fourth Ward

The Great Debaters, opening in theaters on Christmas Day, tells the story of the triumph of underdogs. It is also Henrietta Bell Wells' story.

Born in Houston's Fourth Ward on the banks of Buffalo Bayou and raised by a struggling single mother from the West Indies, Wells became the only female member of the 1930 debate team from Wiley College who participated in the first collegiate interracial debate in the United States. She is the last surviving member of the 1930s team coached by Melvin B. Tolson.

But for Wells, her involvement in the real life events that inspired the movie that stars Denzel Washington was just about living.

"I was just lucky, that's what I think," the 95-year-old Wells said at the Houston facility where she now lives. "I just thought I was living my life. I don't think we thought we were doing any great job. We were in the debate team for fun, just doing our best."

Wells met Tolson, who would later become a role model throughout her college career, in freshman English.


Hectic balancing act
He talked her into trying out for the debate team. Reluctant, she took the stage, stood behind the podium and read for him. Satisfied with her reading, Tolson put her on the team.

"I told him I don't know anything about debating and I don't have any money to take off from class to be on the debate team," Wells said. "I was the only girl, and I was the only freshman. They (the boys) didn't seem to mind me."

The schedule was hectic. She had to make night practices in addition to attending her day classes, all while working three jobs on campus. She worked at the Wildcat Inn, a student hangout, and did housekeeping in the dorm.

Life for a young black woman during the Jim Crow era presented Wells plenty of challenges.

She remembers her home being searched during the Camp Logan Riots of 1918, being unable to try on clothes in stores and failing a voter registration test in Louisiana.

The family didn't have much money, but Wells was always a good student, finishing as valedictorian at Phyllis Wheatley High School. Her acumen for learning earned a scholarship to attend Wiley. Even with the scholarship, she had to work for her upkeep. During her time on the debate team, her friends covered her shifts while she traveled with the team. Her need to work eventually led Wells to leave the team.


Still a debater
Friends say that Wells, however, maintained that debating spirit.

"If you listen to her, you can hear the debater," said Glenice Como, a lay minister at St. James Episcopal Church where Wells is a member. "She will hold her ground with you. If she thinks she hasn't made her point, she'll do her research."

There are those who won't forget what Wells and others from the era contributed to breaking down barriers for black debaters.

Texas Southern University debate coach Thomas F. Freeman called Tolson's decision to include a woman on his team courageous during a time when a woman's role was limited. Barbara Jordan was the first woman to travel with the TSU team in 1954. Freeman recalled a time when TSU debaters were not allowed to stay in certain hotels or eat in restaurants when traveling to compete.

"Someone has to be courageous enough to become the first," said Freeman. "I hope they (students) get a sense of history from it and realization of the problems faced by young people who wanted to forge ahead."

Wells recalled that the team went up against law students from the University of Michigan in Chicago during that interracial debate. She once wrote of that experience: "It was a non-decision debate, but we felt at the time that it was a giant step toward desegregation."

She recalled that the judge was quoted in a newspaper as having said that the two teams were evenly matched, an idea she scoffs at.

"You're talking about a debate team where one member was a freshman. They were all graduate law students. That was a whole lot we were going up against," she said.

Wells recalled that before the match, Tolson gave her pointers on how to punch up her speech. "He said, 'You've got to put something in there to wake the people up,' " she recalled.

The movie has sparked new interest in Wiley College, which has a student enrollment of 926. There is even discussion about revitalizing debating that tapered off after Tolson left the university.


Humbled by the attention
While friends were happy about the film being made, some were disappointed that the female character did not use Wells' name.

Despite this, they knew Wells' contribution.

"It makes me feel very proud," said J. Marie McCleary, who was also a student assistant for Tolson. "She wasn't at all intimidated by working with young men. She just stood out. She spoke very well."

As for Wells, who was unable to attend the recent screening at Wiley, she can now say that she's met Denzel Washington. Jurnee Smollett, the young actress who plays the female debater in the film, has come to Houston several times to visit her.

Wells has had the film privately screened for her in her room and gets requests for interviews.

When the movie opens in theaters Tuesday, she will spend it quietly with friends and family in her room. Como said they plan to fill her room with balloons.

Wells is humbled by the attention.

"I hope I live up to the ideals in it," she said. "The movie is supposed to inspire young people to want to go to college, to try hard, to know it's not all easy but there's so much you gain from it."

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More!

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FVSU News



December 18, 2007 - J.C. Forensics Society Holds Fall Speech & Drama Competition


“The Great Debaters,” a new movie starring Denzel Washington, spotlights the dynamism of debate clubs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Fort Valley State University’s J. C. Hill Forensic Society hopes to keep this tradition alive by reorganizing itself and hosting its Inaugural Fall Speech and Drama Competition recently held in the W.W.E. Blanchet CTM Building Auditorium. The contest was sponsored by the Office of Student Affairs.

The forensics society was started by late FVSU English professor J. C. Hill. According to Dr. Keith Murphy, associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences, Hill broke ground in eliminating racial barriers in mainstream extracurricular activities.

“Hill was taking black speech and debate teams into mainstream colleges when no one else was,” said Murphy, who knew Hill personally. “I was hired to replace him, which was quite an honor.”

According to Dr. Andrew Lee, interim program coordinator for mass communications, the forensics society has 15 – 20 students participate each year. Each year, ten FVSU students compete in state championships and national tournaments. The organization, however, is currently in the rebuilding process and will follow the National Forensics Model.

Members competed and were awarded first, second and third place trophies in two categories: speech and drama. Students who earned the top three scores were awarded grand-prize monetary awards. The judges for the competition were President of the Faculty Senate Ms. Juone Brown-Johnson, Associate Professor of Fine Arts and Humanities Mr. Ricky Callaway and Interim Department Head for English and Foreign Languages Dr. Berlithia Pitts. Five very talented students walked away with prizes.

Speech Category:

First Place: Justin Lambert
Second Place: Michael Jordan
Third Place: Tiffany Arnold
Drama Category:
First Place: Serena Tucker
Second Place: Diamond Hazel
Grand Prizes:

First Place: Justin Lambert - $200
Second Place: Michael Jordan - $150
Third Place: Tiffany Arnold - $100

Jan. 7

‘The Great Debaters’: A Challenge to Higher Education
Inside Higher Education.com

By Timothy M. O’Donnell

“The banquet of my Wiley years was the tutelage of Tolson.”
— James Farmer, Lay Bare the Heart

Over the holidays, many may have gone to the theater to see The Great Debaters, the major motion picture from Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey. The film tells the extraordinary tale of the 1935 Wiley College debate team, its legendary coach Melvin B. Tolson and his most famous student, Dr. James L. Farmer Jr. One of the “Big Four” leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, Farmer put his debate training to use as the architect of the movement’s strategy of non-violent protest and direct action.

Most of the attention lavished on the movie has focused on how it helps audiences reflect on the ways in which racism permeates society. But the film also creates an opportunity for – and poses a challenge to – colleges and universities to provide all students with the fundamental academic experience that is debate. In addition to offering audiences opportunities to reflect on the ways in which racism permeates human society, the film challenges colleges and universities to provide all students with the fundamental academic experience that is debate. At a time when higher education is simultaneously financially constrained and seemingly awash in projects to create centers of excellence (teaching, civic engagement, service learning, and deliberative democracy) The Great Debaters reminds us that academic debate is a proven investment in the core values of our institutional missions.

Washington, who both directs and stars in the film, has taken the lead by donating $1 million to reestablish the Wiley College team, which lapsed after Tolson’s departure from the school. Washington’s generosity is a testament to his belief in the power and virtue of a debate education and a wake-up call to institutions of higher education to make academic debate a part of any serious strategic plan.

We all value the skills of argument and critical thinking; intercollegiate debate teaches these – and much more. Indeed, there is no better vehicle for stimulating undergraduate research, fostering tolerance and open mindedness, instigating engagement with the issues of the day, promoting understanding of global connections and inculcating the method of interdisciplinarity. Debate constitutes a series of connected academic experiences and teaches students to ask questions and seek answers to serious academic questions. Participation in debate, at any level, is life altering and has real consequence for students and their institutions alike. The skills, knowledge and habits of mind nurtured through academic debate are on display every day in virtually every profession, not the least of which is higher education.

A few years ago, John E. Sexton, president of New York University, said that his four years in high school debate “were the educational foundation of everything I did.” “I’m saying the finest education I got from any of the institutions I attended, the foundation of my mind that I got during those four years of competitive policy debate; that is, 90 percent of the intellectual capacity that I operate with today — Fordham [University] for college, Fordham for the Ph.D., Harvard for law school — all of that is the other 10 percent.” But debate skills are not reserved only for exceptional students like Farmer and Sexton. All students should have the benefits of a debate education.

Because audiences around the globe will see The Great Debaters, it gives higher education a rare opportunity to promote this fundamental activity and garner support for it. How can we in higher education see this film, understand its message, and not return to our campuses to make those opportunities available to students? College administrators should be rushing to build strong debate programs in institutions where none presently exist. Meanwhile, universities that already have such programs should exercise a leadership role by committing to reinforce and showcase existing programs.

Compared to intercollegiate athletics and other costly endeavors, debate is, dollar for dollar, an efficient use of institutional resources. It requires no multimillion dollar complexes, playing fields, stadiums or expensive equipment. All that is necessary are classrooms, coaches, office supplies and support for travel and research. Debate is an inexpensive, educational and effective way to both promote schools and enhance the quality of the academic experience.

The movement to rediscover debate has already begun. Urban debate leagues at the middle and high school level are flourishing under the leadership of the National Association of Urban Debate Leagues and The Great Debaters will undoubtedly cause demand for debate to surge in the coming years. However, these leagues cannot shoulder the burden of a nationwide debate renaissance alone. They need colleges and universities to take a leadership role. Specifically, higher education must do three things.

First, we need to create viable opportunities for high school graduates who seek to continue their debate education after high school. Creating new programs and reinforcing existing programs is essential.

Second, and equally important, we must recruit, train and produce a new generation of professional debate educators. There are many middle and high schools around the country eager to offer debate opportunities to students, but they are unable to find qualified teachers with debate experience because the demand for quality coaches far outstrips the supply. To meet this shortfall, our institutions must generate capacity by fielding debate programs that give students opportunities to learn the coaching craft through rich individual learning experiences. In addition, thoughtful consideration should be given to the ways in which such a commitment spurs curricular innovation at both the undergraduate and graduate level as well as educational partnerships of local, regional and state constituencies. Finally, the creation of new opportunities to join the debate teaching fraternity must move in lockstep with efforts to retain, reward, and renew our best debate teachers.

Third, as the nation’s longstanding incubators of free expression, innovative thinking, democratic deliberation and social change, college and universities must do more to promote the role of debate as a necessary component of a well functioning society. Strong debate programs are essential because they showcase best practices. Debate programs are and should be key players in efforts to foster civic engagement and democratic responsibility.

The Great Debaters reminds us that the values of debate are the values of the academy itself. Even critics will admit that debate’s insufficiencies are due as much as anything to insufficient institutional commitment to a debate education. To be true to our core values, we need to promote the activities that create better students and better citizens. Debate does this. An America where academic debate becomes a prominent fixture on every campus would be a better America. Every college and university has many James Farmers strolling the hallways and quadrangles of its campuses; but we must lay the foundation for achievement. There will be no better opportunity to bring this to fruition than the one that now lies before us. The time for debate is now.

Timothy M. O’Donnell is chair of the National Debate Tournament Committee and director of debate at the University of Mary Washington, in Fredericksburg, Va.

Comments
Hear..., Hear!
My compliments to Timothy in challenging the “Let’s-all-get-along” American Society by laying out a rational argument for change. Argumentation and Debate on issues is a far better remedy for this country’s ills than the emotional responses that pervade America and the American media and fail to rise above the limbic center of the brain and allow the proper use of the decision-making power of the human pre-frontal cortex. Can we encourage people to simply “think” about what they do?..and the consequences of their action? Is there still hope?

Edward Winslow, A “tired” retired Business Professor, at 8:55 am EST on January 7, 2008
If only ...
I know that I gained much by my own experience in both high school and intercollegiate debate.

But my time as a debater and more recently as a coach and judge saw the activity change drastically, and what actually happens in intercollegiate debate today bears no resemblance to what one sees in “The Great Debaters.” Persuasive speech and eloquence are hardly to be found — debates are almost entirely determined now by tactics, many of which I find abhorrent. Debaters have been clocked speaking nearly 400 words per minute in their attempt to spit out more arguments than their opponents can answer. Teams seek out arcane, narrow cases for or against the question in an attempt to win by surprise rather than by presenting the best case that gets to the heart of the real issue.

What passes for argument is often nothing more than the statement of a claim followed by the almost unintelligible rapid reading of a quotation from some polemicist or off-beat social theorist, as if that were sufficient evidence.

Not that this is all bad: debaters today learn to think quickly and nimbly, and gain tremendous research skills. All debaters who pursue the activity seriously gain in intellectual depth and learn a great deal about matters of public policy. The trouble is they do so in an environment that is almost hermetically sealed from the way advocacy is carried on in any meaningful forum — the courthouse, the boardroom, the meeting hall, and the legislature.

I’d say that intercollegiate debate has for some time been stuck in a bad kind of medieval scholasticism (I don’t say this lightly, as I’m a medievalist myself) and is badly in need of a renaissance. Only when that happens will we reap the many benefits of debate that Prof. O’Donnell cites.

John Marlin, The College of St. Elizabeth, at 9:50 am EST on January 7, 2008

Just a note, Bethune-Cookman University won in a debate with Oxford University (England) in the 1950's.

quote:

Originally posted by Old School:
Just a note, Bethune-Cookman University won in a debate with Oxford University (England) in the 1950's.

I was educated on that by an old CAT last weekend.

Wow! Oxford and not Miss Harvard.
I say Miss Mary was 2 powerful and had that true vision.

Students back then were happy to have a chance to learn.Not like today's students......