What is equal status? Isn't it about mutual understanding and mutual respect? Black Americans have always been regarded as inferior by whites. The reason is not only economic. The poorest person in the movie is not black, but a pig farmer with a bunch of children. So it is impossible to change the status purely from an economic point of view. When will dairy farmers consider equality with dairy cows? Since the opening of the port, Hong Kong and Britain’s tax revenue has mainly come from the contributions of the Chinese, but what right of the Chinese people have to say before the return?
Stephen Covey said: first understand then understood. Although black people come from slavery and even primitive society in Africa. But they quickly absorbed Western culture. If you close your eyes, can you tell if the speaker is white or black? Old James Famer is considered the smartest person in Texas who knows seven languages. Although this is not enough to win respect, the old James Famer will be blackmailed by the pig farmer in rags, but this is the weapon and method to win the competition with pen and mouth. If there is no education, there will be an old lawyer? Will there be a debate? The road to peace was blocked.
Obedient people, such as Uncle Tom, cannot escape the fate of not being slaved. Only resistance can force the opponent to face your claims. There are two kinds of resistance. Tolson has both tough hands: in the debate on the gentleman, the upper-middle class in society moves for reason; in the small town, the peasant union is organized and ready to come hard. If there is no such hand, there will be no peasants. Tolson might not be able to get out of Sheriff or the police station.
The future is inseparable from young people. The three young debaters in the book (ignoring the one who can't be on business trips) are all very successful and reflect the characteristics of adolescence. The transformation of the old James Famer is more interesting. It turns out that he should also believe that knowledge changes destiny like many poor second generations. He wants to keep his son away from the black second generation (the same is true for the high Chinese in Hong Kong?). After he can't stand the oppression of the white second generation , Finally realized: Without changing the era of Pin Da, knowledge cannot change destiny.
View more about The Great Debaters reviews