Poet and professor Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) teaches at the predominately black Wiley College in 1935 Texas. He decides to start a debate team, something nearly unheard of at a black college. While at first he butts heads with the influential father (Forest Whitaker) of one of his best debators, eventually he is able to form a team of strong-minded, intelligent young students, and they become the first black debate team to challenge Harvard’s prestigious debate champions.
The Great Debaters/Film synopsis
Is Great Debaters a true story?
“The Great Debaters” honors the real-life story of a 1930’s black debating team. Denzel Washington directs and stars in “The Great Debaters,” the movie based on that true story, which comes to theaters Christmas Day. Washington plays the team’s coach, the invincible Professor Melvin Tolson.
What is the theme of The Great Debaters?
The theme for the movie is the Power of Education, because just with that power, its can bring you to success.
Who is James Farmer in The Great Debaters?
The Great Debaters (2007) – Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. – IMDb.
Who are the 3 main characters in the great debaters?
The film begins with Tolson choosing his debate team for the 1935-36 school year. He decides on four students: Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams); the well-read but undisciplined Henry Lowe (Nate Parker); the first woman to join the team, Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett); and the fourteen-year-old James Farmer, Jr.
What can we learn from The Great Debaters movie?
A great quote from the movie is: “Now is always the right time to do the right thing.” One of the most important lessons in The Great Debaters is found in one of its memorable lines: “We do what we got to do, so we can do what we want to do.”
What was the relationship like between James and his father?
He has a very strained relationship with his father, resenting his having separated from his mother as well as his authorative demeanor.
Why was James Farmer so important?
James Farmer, in full James Leonard Farmer, Jr., (born January 12, 1920, Marshall, Texas, U.S.—died July 9, 1999, Fredericksburg, Virginia), American civil rights activist who, as a leader of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), helped shape the civil rights movement through his nonviolent activism and organizing of …
What was James Farmer legacy?
James Farmer co-founded the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), which led the 1961 Freedom Rides into southern states, including Virginia, to test in nonviolent ways Supreme Court rulings that outlawed segregation in interstate transportation.
