Please allow me to give a brief summary of life for African Americans, circa 1935:
"Jim Crow Laws" were in effect In the Southern US, requiring "separate but equal" facilities for Blacks and Whites, including schools, bathrooms, etc.
African Americans weren’t issued birth certificates by some States, thus denying them basic rights of existence
African Americans were called Negroes--or worse, and treated accordingly
If an Afican American wanted an education beyond high school, most went to private segregated colleges
Forgive me if you already know this, but for some, this brief history lesson is all the African American history they’ve had and this small amount will help understand the times and the people.
"The Great Debaters" takes place at Wiley College, a private Negro college, in Marshall, TX. The semester has just begun and it’s time for tryouts for the debate team with Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) as the coach.
Out of 45 students, only 4 make the cut. That’s two team members and two alternates. Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams) is the only returning student.
Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) is obviously the pick of the crop. He’s so much of the same mind as Tolson, they could easily be enemies if they weren’t aligned, but both men have their own demons chasing them. Samantha Booke, alternate, (Jumee Smollett), wants to be the third Negro woman to practice law in the State of Texas. She’s ambitious and she nearly lets romance with Lowe get in her way. James Farmer, Jr., alternate, (Denzel Whitaker), is only 14 years old and being strongly pushed by his father Dr. James Farmer, Sr (Forest Whitaker, who is not related to him) to excel in his studies and not let the debate team get in his way.
Tolson’s got an ambitious program started. From the beginning, he’s writing top schools, challenging them to match wits with his students.
As the team wins, more invitations come in. Meanwhile, Tolson is privately leading an effort to form a union for the Black and White share croppers of the area. Unfortunately, the local farmers disapprove and the meeting’s attacked with the local Sheriff in the lead. Tolson himself nearly goes to jail and loses one member of his team because he’s got a dangerous reputation as a Communist.
"The Great Debaters" may not be completely accurate about the histories of the people it depicts, but it is an education to the times themselves. We learn some poignant lessons about the origin of the term lynching and see an example. We also learn about civil disobedience and what it really means--and costs--to stand up for what you believe in.
Some describe this as a ’feel good’ or ’team’ film and I don’t dispute either of these findings, but "The Great Debaters" is also an opportunity to demonstrate the history of a time and of a people. In my opinion, this is a very good film to show to history classes of all colors, because too few people do realize the conditions of the past and the price African American people paid for a better education and more chances to interact and compete on an equal basis.