The Great Debaters Page #5

...blocking a negroe's admission...

...to a state university

is not only wrong,

It is absurd.

The negro people are not

just the color in the American fabric.

They are the thread that

holds that all together.

Consider the legal and historical record.

May 13, 1865,

sergeant Crocker, a negro...

...is the last soldier to

die in the Civil War.

In 1918 the first

US soldiers...

...decorated for bravery in France...

...are negroes Henry

Johnson and Nedham Roberts.

announces that the "n" in "negro"...

...would hereafter be capitalize.

To force upon south what

they are not ready for,

would result in nothing

but more racial hatred.

Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois, he is perhaps

the most eminent negro scholar in America,

He comments:

/"It's a silly waste of money...

/...time and temper...

/...to try to pelt a powerful majority to do...

/...what they're determined

to not to do."

My opponent so conveniently

chose to ignore the fact,

That W. E. B. Du Bois

is the first negro who receved a PhD,

From a white college

called Harvard.

Dr. Du Bois, he adds:

/"It is impossible,

/"Impossible for a negro

to receive a proper education...

/...at a white college."

The most eminent negro

scholar in America...

...is the product of the

United League education.

You see, Du Bois knows all too well the

white man's resistance to change.

But that's no reason to keep a

black man out of any college.

If someone didn't force upon

the south something it wasn't ready for,

I'd still be in chain, and Miss Booke

here'd be running from out of an asset.

I do admit it.

It is true.

Far too many whites are afflicted

with the disease of racial hatred.

And because of racism it would

be impossible for a negro to be happy...

...in a southern white college today.

And if someone is unhappy...

...it is impossible to see how they could

receive a proper education.

Yes, the time will come when negroes

and whites would walk on the same campus.

And we will share the same classrooms.

But sadly that day is not today.

As long as schools are segregated...

...negroes will receive

an education that is both...

...separate and unequal.

By Oklahoma is on reckoning...

...the state is currently spending

...for the education of a white child...

...than in the spending to

educate a colored child.

That means better textbooks

for that child than for that child.

I say that's a shame.

But my opponent says

today is not the day...

...for whites and coloreds

to go the same college.

To share the same campus.

To walk in the same classroom.

Well, would you be so kind to tell me

when is that day gonna come?

Is it gonna come tomorrow?

Is it gonna come next week?

In 100 years?

Never?

No! The time for justice, the time

for freedom and the time for equality...

Is always, is always right now!

Thank you.

What is this?

I told you is holy wine,

but hairy in the chest.

- If you say so.

- Good, ain't?

You will bat on me as if you'll need it.

And my weapon were words.

I don't need a gun,

I don't need a knife, you see...

Meet me outside in 5 minutes.

And then what?

Honey, nobody knows that better

than you know. I'm fine.

- How are you doing, Pearl?

- Pearl.

How do you do, I'm just like you.

And where's your husband?

He is in the study.

- Dr. Farmer.

- Congratulations Melvin.

- Thank you.

- You put us on the map.

Well, your son is doing great job,

his researching is impeccable.

That's good to hear, good to hear.

Listen.

There're people around town who aren't

very happy with your off-campus activities.

They're calling you a radical.

In fact I wouldn't be a bit suprised

to find out,

When in the mornin' when I woke up

that you're strung up to a tree.

They have to catch me first.

This is serious, Melvin. Very serious.

A hungry negro steals

a chicken and he goes to jail.

A rich businessman steals barns,

he goes to Congress.

I think that's wrong.

And that makes me radical,

a socialist, a communist...

Amen.

Amen on that.

- Jesus was radical.

- Careful.

- Yes, he was, Jesus was radical.

- Careful.

Mental institutions are filled with people

who confuse themselves with Jesus Christ.

You confess to Jesus Christ now?

You confess to Jesus Christ?

You know what words do.

- Come on now.

- Amen.

Don't wanna confuse yourself

with Jesus Christ.

No, I am not confused, I'm convinced.

I'm not judging you.

I'm just concerned about your methods.

What methods?

James was there that night, wasn't he?

He was not with me.

- Is he involved in this?

- Of course not, James.

I've done everything in my power

to keep him out of this.

To keep him out? What? Does he want to be involved?

You tell me he wants to involved?

No, he doesn't. Maybe this is something

you should discuss with him.

I'm discussing here with you right now and

I don't feel like I'm getting the straight answer from you.

No, you're getting a straight answer...

I think that you were

there with him that night.

- He was not with me.

- He is a 14 years old boy.

I understand that, James.

And I'll do whatever I have to do to

protect him, you understand that?

Do anybody thirsty?

- Thank you, thank you.

- You're welcome.

- Ruth, this is a fine party.

- Thank you.

I think it's time for some

sweet potato pie.

- Please.

- I help you with that.

Not the time to talk about it.

- Congratulations.

- Thank you.

It's so beautiful out here.

Yeah.

I was born near here,

up by the lake Jefferson.

I come here since I was a little boy.

Your parents still live around here?

No, they're gone.

My grandparents raised me.

My papa here spent his live building

levels around here, for free of course.

He was a slave?

My grandma was always

telling me that,

Be good or else the Confederates

will rise up

out of the Marshall cemetery,

and get me.

What?

I've just never seen this

side of you before.

What side?

You seem so calm, so peaceful.

I think the lake does it to me.

I am happy when I'm up here, you know?

It's funny...

A part of me wants just to

stay out here by the lake, you know.

To read books all day,

hunt or fish when I get hungry.

And the other part want to go

everywhere and see everything.

I want to go to New Orleans,

and New York, and Chicago,

...and even San Francisco.

So I wanna go...

walking down the road...

...and disappear.

Maybe you can take me with you.

- Come, over.

- What?

The schoolband is playing

in the outside.

What? Oh my Jesus!

I thought you said that

nobody ever comes here.

Nobody ever does come here, Samantha.

Hold on, hold on.

Henry, come on!

Henry!

Get dressed.

What's going on?

We gonna go get Mr. Tolson and

Samantha head back to the campus

And have a paper hour.

Come on, get dressed.

You know, you go get Tolson and I

meet up you a bit later on campus.

Come on, Lowe. You know

it's gonna be fun...

I guess I tell them you're gonna join us later.

He's gonna join us later.

/Just has to clean his house,

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