The Great Debaters

The first question after watching the movie should be,"What made the debaters great?" The common answer would point to their record. It was a noble one. They won against a notable university. Anyone who could have done that deserved to be called great.

Partly, yes. But it's only a fraction compared to the whole reason.

Answer to the Question

What made them great was that they "resolved" real issues during their time. They dealt with pragmatic propositions with practical reasons. They provided logical arguments and defenses consistent to what was happening. If ever a person would attend and listen to the debate, even if he's not a student and learned one, he would never be a stranger. The debaters talked about their lives, their situation. No one was naive in relation to the issue.

As depicted in the movie, the following are the attributes of a great debate:

a.) Practical issues

The debaters dealt with the current political, economic, and legal issues. They just didn't talk about any petty matter which didn't have any realistic application. Even the least in the ranks of the society could understand and relate to what they were debating about. Though they seemed to discuss intellectually, through research, they touched the people's lives by quoting their experiences.

b.) Brilliant Debaters

Without the talented debaters, a worth debating issue would not be properly contested. When I mentioned "talented debaters", I refer to those who possess with diligence, eloquence, and the ability to deliver complex idea into a simple, comprehensible one. As mentioned in the movie, a debate is like a combat in which words are the weapons. Just like a battle, right words should be spoken at the right time in a right way. When this is done, a debater will go beyond the intellectual level of those who listen by touching their sensitive emotional side which will stir them up to act.

Teamwork

The life of the debaters served as a living inspiration to those who want to make a difference. They rose from a life of mediocrity to an epitome of excellence. They set as an example to those who wanted to be like them and longed to be great debaters. Though sometimes they were divided on some personal issues, in the end, they stood as one. They worked as a team. That attitude paved their way to the top.