Patrick Mosley, a black senior at the University of Georgia, points to his involvement with debate as the turning point in his academic and personal development.
With his introduction to the Harvard Debate Council Diversity Project, a program for black high school students to develop their debate skills, Mosley found comfort in the practice by working with black students who shared his interest in debate.
Mosley was able to thrive in the ‘energy-filled’ environment, a factor he recognized as chiefly responsible for his transformation from a shy high school student to a socially confident college senior.
“Debate is one of the few environments where people are trying to help each other and improve,” Mosley said. “Meeting other black kids who shared my passion for debating was important. The program was a place where I could hone my craft.”
Organizations like the Harvard Diversity Project aim to bridge the gap in the resources underserved communities receive in education.
Rhonda Haynes, the executive director of a similar organization – the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL) – works to create valuable and equitable debate opportunities for students.
“Debate helps to instill confidence in students, and it gives them a place to exercise their voice,” Haynes said. “Its long-term impact on student success through college and career is why I was drawn to the practice.”
Haynes recognizes the lack of inclusivity in high school debate programs, and she works at NAUDL to ensure that minority students have the chance to practice debate. She wants students to build upon their debate experience and leverage their newfound skills to move forward and discover career opportunities.
Haynes has worked with the youth for much of her professional career. Reminiscing on the first school she visited on the west side of Chicago, Haynes describes an experience she “will never forget.”
“The first school I visited was very scarce in resources,” Haynes said. “It made me realize the importance of achieving educational equity for minority students.”
As the Executive Director of NAUDL, she hopes to work herself out of a job by providing all students with an equal opportunity to participate in debate.
Jeff Allred, a contract lawyer who resides on the board of NAUDL and the Harvard Diversity Project (now called the Veritas Debate Institute), knows full well the importance of these organizations for providing youth educational opportunities.
“These organizations support a youth’s journey in debate, those who typically would not have an opportunity to be exposed to it,” Allred said.
When he started to debate in high school, few kids in his home state of North Carolina were provided with the necessary coaching and travel to compete at a high level.
Allred credits his success in debate to the resources his coaches provided him with at a young age. His exposure to high-level competition at the summer camps he attended at Northwestern University and Georgetown University was vital for Allred.
The coaching he received and the competition he faced allowed him to take away essential skills that he would transfer to his career.
Allred invests in organizations like NAUDL and the Veritas Debate Institute to ensure that talented minority kids don’t miss out on the opportunity to receive adequate debate training, a practice that would help them beyond high school and college into their careers.
“Debate is the single most important contributor to the development of my ability to think and persuade,” Allred said. “Both skills were extremely important to me in the classroom and throughout my professional career.”
Debate, a practice with strong links to future academic and career success, has helped those like Mosley and Allred build the foundations for improved academic performance.
A study conducted by the University of Michigan shows an 0.66-point average GPA increase for students who partake in the practice.
Now approaching his college graduation, Patrick Mosley feels much more confident in everything he does. Debate has allowed him to form social skills, and he now feels better at doing things on the fly.
“In college, I’m more incentivized to speak in class,” Mosley said. “I’m much more coordinated and informed with my ideas because debate allowed me to think about complex issues in different ways.”
Haynes herself remembers the stories of countless students who have gone on to succeed after their time with NAUDL. She believes this is a testament to their persistence and the many skills they have taken from their practices.
“You debaters are better than 80-90 percent of lawyers in the courtroom right now,” Haynes recalls Barbara Radnofsky, a former Texas U.S. Senate nominee, stating. “In great part, it’s because of your preparation.”
For Patrick Mosley, Jeff Allred, and Rhonda Haynes, the ‘debate impact’ cannot be understated.
