FILM

Project Row Houses presents a Movie Night & Discussion featuring a screening of the film The Great Debaters and discussion with special guest: Dr. Thomas Freeman.  Friday, June 12, 2009, 2521 Holman Street.

Film Synopsis:
Inspired by a true story, The Great Debaters chronicles the journey of Professor Melvin Tolson (Denzel Washington), a brilliant, but volatile, debate team coach who uses the power of words to shape a group of underdog students from a small African American college (Wiley College) in the deep south into a historically elite debate team. A controversial figure, Professor Tolson challenged the social mores of the time and was under constant fire for his unconventional and ferocious teaching methods as well as his radical political views. In the pursuit for excellence, Tolson's debate team receives a groundbreaking invitation to debate Harvard University's championship team.

About the Special Guest:
Dr. Thomas F. Freeman has taught Philosophy at Texas Southern University since 1949. He has also been the debate coach since 1949. Under Dr. Freeman's leadership and guidance, the Texas Southern Debate Team has attained international fame. He has been a powerful intellectual force in the African American community and has had a number of outstanding students on the debate team. Some of them include Barbara Jordan, Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis, Otis King, the first African American City Attorney, Judge Andrew Jefferson and Dr. James Race.

NOTE:  The post-screening discussion led by Dr. Thomas F. Freeman will allow the audience to voice their opinions and engage in a dialogue with each other. Dr. Freeman was solicited by Denzel Washington to be a consultant for the movie, The Great Debaters. Mr. Washington brought members of the cast to Texas Southern University for an intense two-day debate boot camp with Dr. Freeman and his team.