The Great Debaters Review

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* Devyn A. Tyler as Helen Farmer
* Trenton McClain Boyd as Nathaniel Farmer
* Jackson Walker as Pig Owner
* Tim Parati as Pig Farmer
* Justice Leak as Harland Osbourne
* Robert X. Golphin as Dunbar Reed
* Damien Leake as Wilson
* Frank L. Ridley as Security Guard


Summary

A black debate team competes with white schools during civil unrest in America. It is the mid-1930s and Professor Tolson assembles a black debate team at Wiley College. He trains them with the goal that they compete with white debate teams across the country to prove that they are just as good, maybe even better. The team is composed of Samantha, James (the youngest member and the son of another Wiley professor), Henry, and Hamilton. As the team competes across the country, they experience first-hand the injustice and terror of racism. They witness a lynch mob murder a black man and are deeply bothered by the incident. Prof. Tolson, who secretly engages in ...

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professor at the Wiley College who oversees the debating team. After announcing auditions for the latest participants, some promising students show up. These include Henry Lowe , a vigorously independent, cocky guy whose knowledge of history and literature suggests genius. There's also 14-year-old prodigy James Farmer, Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), son of Farmer, Sr. (Forest Whitaker), the community's respected doctor and scholar. Other hopefuls are Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett) and Hamilton Burgess (Jermaine Williams), who, like Lowe and Farmer, Jr., also make the cut.

They start by successfully debating local colleges. As Tolson realizes his team has immense skill, they begin to ...

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