The ”Elite Eight” high school debate teams will compete at the International Public Policy Forum (IPPF) on April 18 after Howard University and Texas Southern University debaters judge various rounds. The presence of historically Black college and university (HBCU) students in an internationally recognized debate competition comes through a collaboration with the Brewer Foundation, aiming to bring more equity to the world of debate.
Elandrea Baker, a political science major from Kansas City, Missouri, currently serves as vice president of the Howard University Speech and Debate Team (HUSDT). Baker served as one of the student judges, a role that differed from traditional debate formats due to IPPF’s written structure, where each round spans 30 to 50 pages.
“I love the judging and coaching side, where you get to see the students and give feedback,” said Baker.
Baker highlighted the impact of competitions like the IPPF on the debate world, noting that it is free to enter, open to all high school teams and fully funds the top eight teams’ participation in the final round.
“Debate is very expensive, with tournament fees to register for a good debate. You have certain areas of the country using whatever means of transportation; it gets very expensive,” explained Baker, who debated in high school as well.
As a debater in the midwestern circuit, almost none of her teammates and opponents were Black.
“Black people need to have a space where their voices are not only heard, but where they learn how to use their voices,” Baker said.
She emphasized that speech and debate shaped her into a confident communicator.
“It’s not just a tournament,” William Brewer, founder of the Brewer Foundation and creator of the IPPF said. “We turned it into something that actually teaches research and writing, which transforms into oral advocacy throughout the entire school year.”
As a founding partner of Brewer Attorneys and Counselors, Brewer believes his time spent debating in high school forged the path to his career litigating a wide range of cases, from antitrust law in Hong Kong to HBCU accreditation battles.
“The skills that people cultivate in debate are skills that last a lifetime,” said Brewer.
The resolution for this year’s debate centers around the issue of global education inequality. Angela Minor, Esq., the coach of HUSDT and Director of MLK Jr. Forensic Programs, will be one of the judges for the final round and a panelist at a symposium on the global education crisis. The President of the Brewer Foundation, Ian Shaw, said Minor’s expertise on the educational inequities facing Black and Brown youth in the U.S. is essential to the conversation.
“It’s a horrible issue where in some countries, students don’t even see a classroom,” said Shaw. “Here in the States, it’s also devastating that there are so many Black and Brown children not performing at grade level.”
The Brewer Foundation specializes in advancing educational equity primarily for low-income Black and Brown communities.
According to Shaw, HUSDT and Texas Southern University debaters were selected not only for the strength of their programs, but also because they are predominantly composed of Black students.
“If we’re trying to provide opportunities, skill sets and these opportunities to students, what better way to go than to the HBCUs where most of our community wants to go?” explained Shaw.
As a trustee at Paul Quinn College, the oldest HBCU in Texas, Brewer centers his philanthropy on expanding opportunity for all.
“If you lift up good intentions and marry it with resources and talent, you can change the direction, trajectory and the outcomes of someone’s life,” explained Brewer.
As the IPPF moves toward its final round on April 18, participants and organizers alike point to the competition as part of a larger effort to reimagine debate as a more accessible and equitable space for students across the country.
Copy edited by Daryl R. Thomas Jr.
