The Herald

Issue date: 1/23/08 Section: News

Jurnee Smollett, Nate Parker, Denzel Whitaker, Jr. act out a scene in the Great Debaters.

By Sherrell Martin
Campus News Editor

Based on real events, The Great Debaters is a film that is an inspiration to all. Denzel Washington, who plays Melvin Tolson - a professor, poet and debating coach at Wiley College, a black college in Marshall, Texas -- is outstanding as both star and director. In order to present a precise adaptation of the debate elements that are portrayed in the movie, Washington filmed the movie in the South and called the Texas Southern University debate team for assistance.
The year is 1935, and the events of the film transpire in the heart of the rural Jim Crow South in which there is a social upheaval among farmers and African Americans are oppressed. Washington pointedly dramatizes events that define some of the political movements of the day with the sub-plot of Tolson's involvement in organizing a union and reminding us of the racial hatred of the time with the constant reference to the word "Negro," which was beginning to replace the uncomplimentary "colored" as the word of choice for black people.
Washington uses the social issues of the Great Depression as a back drop in the movie. The questions of child labor, integration, the right to organize unions, social welfare and relief for the poor, and the revolutionary duty to challenge unjust laws are all touched upon by the debaters. In order for Washington and the other actors to learn to debate accurately they took a trip to TSU to work with the renowned Dr. Thomas F. Freeman and the TSU debate team.
During his interview on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Washington referred to the TSU debate team as one of the best debate teams in the nation. He went on to give accolades to the team for allowing him and the other actors to come in and learn the craft first hand. It was Washington who chose to work with the TSU debate team to ensure that the young actors in the movie would have authentic knowledge of debating.
Dr. Freeman coordinated a grueling two day "boot camp" for Washington and the others which allowed them to study the art of debating. Assistant coaches Claire Bailey, Terrick Brown, and Lashelle Sargent drilled the actors in the skill of communication while highlighting the finesse of parliamentary debate. Actors Donny Boaz, Glen Powell, Jermaine Williams, Denzel Whitaker, Jurnee Smollett, and Nate Parker were participants in the camp. The assistant coaches also served as extras in the movie.
To culminate the "boot camp" the actors demonstrated their proficiency in debating by debating the TSU debate team. "They did a great job at learning and displaying their skills," said Kateria Winfrey, debate team president. "It was fun and the actors were so appreciative."
Winfrey went on to say that she was surprised at how quickly the actors learned.
The debate team is currently preparing for the Nationals in the spring.
"The team continues to express excellence and looks forward to the Nationals in March," said Dr. Freeman.
"I enjoyed the movie because it portrayed the relationship between resiliency and determination," said Lawrence Green, junior, political science major. . "My favorite part in the movie is when the debater said that we do what we have to do so that we can do what we want to do, To me that shows a theme of delayed gratification. You won't get everything now, but if you work hard enough now, you will reap the benefits later."


Sherrell Martin is a graduate student majoring in Psychology and serves as the Campus News Editor for the 2007-2008 administration of the TSU Herald.Sherrellmartin@gmail.com

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