Eleanor Boswell-Raine
For the past three months I have been exposing students, academicians and community to the true history of the Great Debaters from Wiley College - the debaters who were not composite characters, rather the ones who lived and accomplished equally remarkable feats as seen in the Hollywood version featuring director Denzell Washington.
As the daughter of a "great debater" who debated from 1935 - 1938 along with his roomate James Farmer and his classmates Hobbart jarrett, Henry Heights, I have a special passion to see that the truth of the experience is as well known as the silver screen version. It is important to all Americans to know about a black college team in Texas who reigned for alomost 20 years as one of the finest forensic teams in the nation. To that end I am starting to get the word out here in the bay area where I live.
The film deserves to be seen by young people, because it carries with it a message of hope and overcoming obstacles. It speaks to the tenacity of a teacher who influenced his students to devote their lives to changing Jim Crowism, leading civil rights movements and speaking truth to power in an effort to make America make good on her promise that all of its citizens are equal under the law with rights support those laws.
So far I have scheduled the following public screenings - Times and addresses will be posted this week:
- February 26 - San Francisco State College
- March 26 - Contra Costa Community College
I am working with Peralta College School District and University of California in an effort to schedule public screenings as well. I would like to introduce the film in community settings as well. I will keep you posted as things continue to develop.
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