ATLANTA — Morehouse College’s debate team withdrew from the last tournament of its season — the national championship — after some members from the historically Black school say they faced racist taunts from opposing teams.
Some members of rival teams used a racist caricature of one of the Morehouse student’s voices when asking them questions, laughed and rolled their eyes at the Morehouse team and turned their cameras on during Morehouse’s speaking time, which was not allowed given the virtual format of the debate, according to a report Wednesday by The Undefeated, a news site that specializes in covering race, sports and historically Black colleges.
The team’s coach, Kenneth Newby, said during an interview Thursday afternoon with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution his team has encountered similar actions in previous competitions over the years only Black competitors have faced, such as other teams moving away from them or some competitors clutching their purses as they entered. Morehouse, located near downtown Atlanta, is sometimes the only team with Black debaters at some tournaments, Newby said.
Newby said the acts his team faced show the need for greater racial diversity in debate competitions. He’s pleased with feedback from some coaches who want to address that concern and work on ways to mitigate acts of microaggression and racism in debate competitions.
“I think this is a moment that could start a movement for change,” said Newby, an Atlanta-based attorney.
The reported acts took place during the U.S. Universities Debating Championship held virtually earlier this month. Morehouse withdrew from the competition after believing its concerns weren’t properly addressed. Other teams, including Morehouse’s sibling school, Spelman College, also withdrew from the competition and it was cancelled, Newby said.
The organizing committee and equity team released a statement later in the week apologizing for its lack of action, The Undefeated reported. Efforts to contact the competition’s organizers have been unsuccessful.
Morehouse’s debate team began more than a century ago, gaining national and international acclaim for its performance in competitions. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was a member during his time as an undergraduate student at Morehouse. Benjamin E. Mays, Morehouse’s most celebrated president, was a former coach, Newby said.
Morehouse is a perennial contender in this debate format, the British Parliamentary style. It was a finalist in the 2015 competition. Newby thought this year’s team was his best.
The students felt what they encountered was unacceptable and decided to withdraw.
“For me there was no choice,” Newby said. “My response was ‘I support you completely.’ "
