ANSWER Film Showing: The Great Debaters
This Friday, June 20, 7pm
Every few years it seems that we get a great film that tells the lost history of African Americans. The Great Debaters is one such film. Over the holidays I had the chance to see these wonderful piece of cinematic history with my family. I walked away feeling proud, not only of the historical figures portrayed in the film, but also of the actors who were able to bring these characters back to life through their craft. If you didn’t get a chance to see the film in the theaters, then be sure to check it out this Friday. Otherwise you can cop it on DVD
In the 1930’s, a time which is rarely discussed in our country’s history, African Americans struggled on a daily basis against acts of blatant racism. Segregation in the south was the norm, lynching was common, and the legal system was built on Jim Crow. Racists tried to strip the African American community of its voice. They failed.
THE GREAT DEBATERS is inspired by the remarkable story of Wiley College’s winning debate team of the early 1930s. Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South, this film chronicles the journey of the Wiley College debate team coached by professor and radical organizer Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington). Tolson brought the team of African American students from underdogs to victors in a time when more than the odds were against them.
To get involved with the ANSWER Coalition, contact us at 212-694-8720 or
email nyc @answercoalition.org.
A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
www.answercoalition.org
info @internationalanswer.org
New York City: 212-694-8720
ANSWER Office
2295 Adam Clayton Powell
Near the corner of 135th St.
Take the B/C to 2/3 to 135th St.
Submitted by Narmer
Posted on June 19, 2008 by D. Bell