November 7
I sat silently and dressed in a black suit and black bowtie in a large audience of extravagantly dressed individuals in a huge beautiful theater. This theater was on the campus of Harvard University--the school where I had received my graduate degree in business. It felt very strange to be back on campus; however, I was very excited because I was here to watch a debate. This was not just any debate though. This was the debate of the century. This was Harvard debating against an all black school--Wiley College. Harvard has been basically undefeated to this point. Despite Harvard being my alma mater, I was secretly rooting for the underdog Wiley College. I overheard conversations in the audience about how surprised they were that Harvard even decided to debate Wiley College and whether or not Harvard would go easy on them. I shook my head at how much the other audience member had looked down upon Wiley College--because it was a black college. This debate did not just seem that it was between schools, it was also a debate between races. The two debaters for Harvard were of course two white males and the debaters for Wiley were a young and nervous black male and a very pretty and confident black female. The debate began.
"Wow," that is all I can say after the debate. I was speechless. Wiley won and happiness consumed me and the Wiley College team. The Harvard supporters looked around in disbelief. I just smiled.
I too was at the debate. I went to MIT for undergrad, until I dropped out, so I was rooting for Wiley College, because I can't stand Harvard. But, after seeing the Great Debaters, i knew the outcome before the debate even happened. It was still so eye-opening to see the debate live and in the present, rather than hearing about it as a historical event. Even through their hardships, these young people were able to find success. That's the most astonishing part to me.
ReplyDeleteI too was at the debate. I did not attend college due to the racial tensions in the time of my adolescence; however I too was rooting for Wiley College. I also heard the degrading whispers throughout the crowd. It's interesting Mr. Clark how you said that this seemed as though a debate of races. You know I think today that this mindset has not been completely eliminated. As I look throughout movies, television shows, and current events I see a huge divide that has been formed. It's sad to say that this mindset of racism and preconceived connotations is not an unnatural phenomena, but instead being engrained into the children of the American society. I was pleased to see Wiley College take home the gold because I saw some people's eyes truly open up in the crowd that all people are capable.
Delete(My grandpa saw your post about the Great Debaters and just had some grand epiphany, so here I am frantically writing away for him. Anyways...)This debate was not just big in the USA, but also made waves across the ocean and in Jamaica at that time. It was stunning to hear such strong and stunning arguments being made by the HBCU students against the illustrious Harvard. It was sheer triumph of the will and was a glimpse of the potential glory of the Black race if we were given fair opportunities. Since I was only able to listen to the debate via ham ham radio, I was unable to detect any snickers or sneers from the crowd. However, I am not surprised that this debate turned into what seemed to be an intellectual showdown between the races. Even to this day, we cannot seem to get fully past the grand divides that are caused simply the pigment of someones skin. My grandson recently showed me a a film which was based on the debate and it did an excellent job of displaying the hardships and sheer perseverance the Wiley College students displayed in order to achieve the seemingly impossible. Oh was a world we live in (And oh how things seem to have changed so much, but too often remain the same).
DeleteAccompong Fannon
(Transcribed by David)
I was also at the debate, and although I am a Harvard grad myself, I couldn't help but root for Wiley College! Something in me has always wanted to root for the underdogs and those kids sure were underdogs.
ReplyDeleteThe whispers and degrading comments from my Harvard peers sitting in the audience were quite shocking. I was surprised that such a well educated, erudite group of people could still hold such backwards views.
I was, however, moved by the young man who spoke at the end of the debate. His personally story about seeing a hanging in southern Texas was harrowing and inspiring. I wished those students didn't have to return to Texas. I wished I could have brought them instead to New York City with me, but alas, that was not an option.