A debate is “a discussion, such as a public question in an assembly, involving opposing points of view” (Dictionary). It can cover a variety of topics such as plastic surgery, animal testing, or genetic cloning. Interest in student or teacher debates can form a debate team, such as the Wiley College debate team. Their debate team became so popular because it was the first black debate team to challenge Harvard. The three debates mentioned in the film “The Great Debaters” were over unemployment benefits, the admission of blacks to white universities and civil disobedience. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The first debate is against Paul Quinn College and the solution is how unemployment benefits should end when the Great Depression ends. Wiley College debaters are against it and believe that unemployment aid should continue, because how can a man grow if society gives him nothing in return? According to debater Henry Lowe, one of the “most powerful sources imaginable” for social welfare is “the look on a mother's face when she cannot feed her children.” How can someone tell their child that they are unable to feed him and provide him with his basic needs at the same time? It also mentions how “A Roman general brought peace to a rebellious province… by killing all its citizens. Even his fellow Romans were shocked. One of them writes: 'Solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant', which means 'They create desolation and call it peace'. In other words, he basically said that you can't solve a problem by simply creating a bigger one and calling it solved. Hamilton Burgess claims that “he who does not work will not eat”. This made sense when there was more work than men willing to do it, but now times have changed and there is less work than men. A counterargument was made when Paul Quinn debaters said: “bring the economy to life, not tax it to death.” Henry Lowe responds with “Paul Quinn's debates…create desolation and call it peace. They would allow the unemployed to die so that the economy could live.” The second debate is against Oklahoma City College, a white college and the solution is for Negroes to be admitted to state universities. During the debate, Henry Lowe brings up slavery and says, "If someone didn't force something on the South that they weren't ready for, I'd still be in chains, and Miss Booke here would be running away from Old Massa." He makes it clear that a Sometimes people don't want change because it's to their advantage to stay the same, but society needs it, so it will continue to move forward and grow. Samantha Booke also mentions some dates that, in her opinion, should be important to history because they indicate the Negro as “not just a color in the American fabric (but) the thread that holds it all together,” “May 13, 1865: Sergeant Crocker, a Negro, is the last soldier to die in the Civil War,” “1918: the first US soldiers decorated for bravery in France are the Negroes Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts” and “1920: The New York Times announces that the “N” in Negro will henceforth be capitalized” (The Great Debaters This). it means how a Negro should be brought into equality because he is just as important and equally qualified as any white man. After an Oklahoma debater said, “there will come a time when Negroes and whites will walk on the same campus and we will share the same halls; but unfortunately that day is not today." Samantha Booke tells them “would you kindly tell me, when will it arrive.