Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Does Traditional College Debate Reinforce White Privilege? (Hurl Alert)
The Atlantic ^ | April 16, 2014 | Jessica Carew Kraft

Posted on 04/17/2014 7:55:49 AM PDT by C19fan

It used to be that if you went to a college-level debate tournament, the students you’d see would be bookish future lawyers from elite universities, most of them white. In matching navy blazers, they’d recite academic arguments for and against various government policies. It was tame, predictable, and, frankly, boring.

No more.

These days, an increasingly diverse group of participants has transformed debate competitions, mounting challenges to traditional form and content by incorporating personal experience, performance, and radical politics. These “alternative-style” debaters have achieved success, too, taking top honors at national collegiate tournaments over the past few years.

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Education
KEYWORDS: debate; minorities
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-26 last
To: Cicero

And once the white person is winning the argument, the black person just has to say, “That’s Racist!” End of debate.


21 posted on 04/17/2014 8:53:24 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 9 | View Replies]

To: Parmy
Then they can use 'street gibberish' that they are used to speaking everyday.

As opposed to Authentic Frontier Gibberish.

22 posted on 04/17/2014 8:54:19 AM PDT by dfwgator
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 20 | View Replies]

To: MNDude

so does minority privilege:

1. you’ll never be called a racist.

2. you’ll never be called a cracker or white boy/white girl.

3. a college will never care if you can meet the normal standards it has b/c it’s diversity requirements supercede individuals’ achievements and abilities - to the extent it will deny qualified whites entry, to allow less qualified minorities entry and scholarships.


23 posted on 04/17/2014 10:17:42 AM PDT by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; Not averse to Going Bronson.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: C19fan
From the article:

On March 24, 2014 at the Cross Examination Debate Association (CEDA) Championships at Indiana University, two Towson University students, Ameena Ruffin and Korey Johnson, became the first African-American women to win a national college debate tournament, for which the resolution asked whether the U.S. president’s war powers should be restricted. Rather than address the resolution straight on, Ruffin and Johnson, along with other teams of African-Americans, attacked its premise. The more pressing issue, they argued, is how the U.S. government is at war with poor black communities.

What the heck?

In the final round, Ruffin and Johnson squared off against Rashid Campbell and George Lee from the University of Oklahoma, two highly accomplished African-American debaters with distinctive dreadlocks and dashikis. Over four hours, the two teams engaged in a heated discussion of concepts like “nigga authenticity” and performed hip-hop and spoken-word poetry in the traditional timed format. At one point during Lee’s rebuttal, the clock ran out but he refused to yield the floor. “F*** the time!” he yelled.

Debate?

24 posted on 04/17/2014 12:08:02 PM PDT by Scoutmaster (Is it solipsistic in here, or is it just me?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Scoutmaster

Feel good awards based upon “Telling it like it is.”


25 posted on 04/17/2014 12:10:36 PM PDT by AEMILIUS PAULUS (It is a shame that when these people give a riot)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator
As opposed to Authentic Frontier Gibberish.

What, pray tell, is Authentic Frontier Gibberish?

26 posted on 04/17/2014 3:24:54 PM PDT by Parmy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-26 last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson