The Great Debators

If Rocket Science inspired any of you people out there with speech impediments to join your high school speech and debate team, well here is a treat for you. This holiday try to go and watch The Great Debaters. It isn't about stuttering but it shows the importance of speech. As far as I know, this is the first really serious film about a Speech and Debate team.

The Great Debaters is produced by Oprah Winfrey and directed and starred by Denzel Washington. It is based on a true story about the efforts and struggles of the African American debate coach Melvin B. Tolson and his students from the Historically black Wiley Collage in Texas. The film takes place during the 1930s, a time of the infamous Jim Crow laws and discrimination against blacks. Eventually, the team is able to compete with Harvard University and becomes the first Negro collage to be able to debate with a white collage.

I was extremely glad when I first saw the trailer on TV. I told my Debate team and they were equally happy. It is great to see that our type of work is being glorified in the most influential media, cinema. Denzel Washington's talent for powerful acting will certainly enhance this film. People should realize the importance of words and confidence. This will also be very nice for the African American communities and for people to put back their racial dislikes and better realize the potential for everyone everywhere. And no one is better at this than our own good Opera!
The movie look seems really good so far, but I have yet to see it so I am not making any strong judgments until I do. But it is good to see that after a comedy like Rocket Science, someone has taken the risk to tackle the subject of debate seriously. Currently I am the only stutterer to make it in our Speech and Debate team in many many years. I would certainly love to see more so may be this movie will help.