The Great Debaters is a no-holds barred depiction of a disgusting time in American history in an upsetting era of extreme racism in the south. Fine acting by the entire cast, particularly Nate Parker as Henry Lowe, an emotionally charged young black student without fear. He pushes Denzel Washington (Melvin Tolson) who teaches the students debating at Wiley College, an all-black college in Texas. Looking back from the present time, you think blacks, Texas, 1930's - this is not going to be pretty...and it wasn't.You feel the seething undercurrent of mistreatment throughout, starting with the young woman (Jurnee Bell as Samantha Booke) who arrives in town to attend Wiley. She gets off the bus and the only bench is marked - whites only. Fights, arrests, guns, violence (some direct, some implied), lynching, the whole 9 yards. Sometimes I felt like I wanted to cry, other times, just throw something. The utter stupidity of the times is shocking.I guess the film, backed by Oprah and Denzel, really wanted to show how much blacks have had to overcome, and how there were many who preached using your mind, and words, not violence, to debate, to fight, to stand up for yourself - to get ahead.The final scene involves the juxtaposition you would expect from a typical Hollywood ending. Rich, white kids facing off against poor, black kids. Who will win? Let me just say that the final speech from the young Mr Farmer will move you.If you liked Ghandhi, or even Mississippi Burning, you will enjoy The Great Debaters. The only critique is the film editing, where they probably could have shortened many scenes to bring this closer to 100-110 minutes - minor point.Enjoy.

Based on the efforts of Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington), who brought blacks from Wiley College to set an equal footing with the whites.This was the dark age of where the blacks lives in fear, afraid to walk places where ruled by the whites because they knew they would be lynched and hung alive.Set in 1930s, Tolson is a debate coach for Wiley Coach, also an educator who guide his fellow students to victory against Harvard College.Also on Wiley's debate team is James L. Farmer Jr. (Denzel Whitaker), Samantha Booke (Jurnee Smollett).Booke is the first woman and black to ever participated in the debate team simultaneously also defeating the Harvard College alongside with Farmer Jr.--During the 1930s, some states of United States of America still enslaved the black people. They discriminate them and lynch them alive and hang them for the vultures.The white supremacy in that era was strong and some still adapt the old culture of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). The blacks are always living in fear until a few would stood for their rights.In The Great Debaters, we explore to see both black and white culture and their upbringing. There were racism and discrimination in every way. It's a great film. Somehow, it still reflects on our today's society.And it's almost like having Barack Obama as the first black president of United States.

"The Great Debaters" is a movie that is based on the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, a professor at Wiley College Texas who coaches the debate team of the college. This debate team it's going to be undefeated for a long time and that will be something that will make the University if Harvard to invite them to debate with them. That was the first debate between U.S. students from white and Negro colleges.It is a very good movie that show us the true face of racial racism and how that effects the relationships between the people. In this movie I liked the performances of Denzel Washington as Melvin B. Tolson, Forest Whitaker as Dr. James Farmer, Denzel Whitaker as James Farmer Jr. and Jurnee Smollett-Bell as Samantha Booke."The Great Debaters" is a movie that everyone have to see it and try to understand the situation of time (1935).

As a white man myself whenever I see movies involving racial hatred, none more so that movies depicting Nazi Germany during World War 2, and the antics of the Mississippi South in the 60's, all I want to do us puke ( be literally sick ).Because I cannot believe that white mindsets can "think" that just because someone has a different coloured skin, that those "coloured" people, are in fact inferior to white people.Anybody reading what im saying here, I ask you as a white person, to explain to me just how a black person, can be inferior to a white person ?, if anything, it is the other way round, ie that a white person is inferior to a black person.To me, The Great Debaiters simply told of a true life struggle, as all true life struggles are, of black people in America, but with a good solid central story.This film simply underlines a mindset that I thank god that I have never had.So, any film that shows up the whites as a bigoted, ill educated, and arrogant race, has my vote.Im aged 62 if anybody is interested, im not a young naive man, I've had black frienbds in my life, and white friends, and the blacks I have always found to be more interesting, and better educated, but my white friend just think they are.Descrimation is a terrible thing, so why are some white people descrimative ? When you reading this, finds out the real answer to this, pease let me know.