The Great Debaters

Taking place in the 1930’s, The Great Debaters is a true story that revolves around an African-American debate coach, Melvin B. Tolson, who strives for his debate team of four kids, to be equal to the whites. During the time period, segregation and the Jim Crow laws were still in effect, making life for blacks difficult. This movie shows us how public speaking and communication were important, especially during debates. There were two boys on the debate team, Henry Lowe and Hamilton Burgess who were both intelligent and superb public speakers and debaters. Then we met two other members, young James Farmer Jr. and the lovely Samantha Brooke, who were both nervous and intimidated to speak in the beginning. This showed me that not everyone is comfortable speaking publically, but with practice, you can get better and improve at it.…

Growing up in Marshal, Texas in the 1930s, a group of powerful students from Wiley College, an all-black institute, began to leave their mark on this old segregated town. Conquering every debate team in their path, little Willey College soon faced Harvard, the school of the elite, so they say. From determination and perseverance this small group of kids defeated the odds becoming the reigning champions in the south at the time. While some critiques feel that this film is racially melodramatic…

The Great Debaters, was an eye-catching, thrilling, and riveting movie that had me stuck to the edge of my seat. It consisted of unique subplots, dialogue, and actors. It’s the ideal movie for those who would like to learn more about the brutal discrimination towards African Americans in the 1930s. The film included many great actors such as Denzel Washington, Forest Whitaker, Nate Parker, and more. These performers did a phenomenal job at playing their roles with such compassion and…

is in a disagreement with a Caucasian person, how is it possible to sway that white person’s views or beliefs while this disease is prevalent? Having the chance to change their point of view can be challenging and strenuous. On the contrary, when emotion is used to fuel and enhance an argument, it has the ability to be powerful beyond measure. By applying emotion during an argument, whether one’s own emotion or using someone else’s against them, it has the potential to persuade a dissenting…

The Great Debaters chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson and his four debaters which end up being three. Professor Tolson is a brilliant but volatile debate team coach. He utilizes the power of words to shape a group of underdog students for a small African American college in Wiley, Texas. In 1935 he led Wiley College debate team to a historically run. James Farmer Jr, the son of James Farmer Sr. I believe James Farmer Jr was looked as the weakest debaters out of the team. However,…

The Great Debaters The film, “The Great Debaters” released in 2007 was a drama based on the life of Melvin B. Tolson and how he aggressively sought to change the perspective of the next generation of African American students in a Jim Crow South. The majority of the film takes place at the all black Wiley College in Marshal, Texas during the 1930’s. Tolson, a professor at Wiley, forms the college’s debate team consisting of; Henry Lowe, a student well versed in poetry, James Farmer…

“A Few Good Men” and “The Great Debaters” are controversial movies that provide a left wing point of view on events. “A Few Good Men” is a 1992 film about a lawyer defending accusations from the U.S. government directed towards two U.S. Marines supposedly killing a fellow Marine. “The Great Debaters” is a 2007 film with its setting based in 1935 about an all-black debate team in Texas that attempt to win competitions and have their voices heard and names known, while witnessing racial…

The film Great Debaters starring Denzel Washington is a powerful example of a movie that can show you different aspects of the change in society. The movie is about a teacher, Denzel Washington who tried to teach an African American debate team how to compete and to improve on every level. This was a hard thing to do because around this time in America, it was hard for anybody of color to be this successful. He ran into many roadblocks while trying to produce success and making sure that his…

How does the main character (or main characters) exemplify someone with gifted abilities? In the movie “The Great Debaters”, the main character demonstrates the abilities of a gifted person in several ways. The college professor, as his title suggests, nearly ideal example of leadership of a gifted person. Professor Tolson brings together a black debate team at Wiley College to compete against the best in the country. To assemble a group of students for a common goal, it requires leadership…

“The Great Debaters” In Denzel Washington’s movie “The Great Debaters”, many different themes are represented dealing with the idea of identity. Identity is the state or fact of remaining the same. Identity of accepting one’s race, gender, and recognizing the power of knowledge. These themes are shown throughout the movie which is about a college professor who boldly challenged the discriminatory Jim Crow laws of the 1930s. The Jim Crow laws were state and local laws enforcing racial…