It’s the first win since the passing of their beloved founder, Dr. Thomas F. Freeman!
Texas Southern University’s (TSU) debate team is upholding its rich legacy, securing it’s 5th world championship title recently, Black Enterprise reports. The HBCU recently took home the win at the Annual International Forensics Association’s Speech and Debate Tournament in Incheon, South Korea, on March 16th. The international win marks the first for the university since the passing of their beloved founder, Dr. Thomas F. Freeman, in 2020 at the age of 100.
“We’ve won first place in all four of our tournaments that we have been on [this season], and then to top it off with the championship was a wonderful and heartwarming experience for the students. The spirit f Dr. Freeman’s teachings are so alive and so well,” said head debate coach Gloria Batiste-Roberts.
Dr. Freeman was a renowned minister and educator who founded TSU’s debate team in 1949, coaching up until his retirement in 2013. Freeman’s lifelong love for debate and his work with TSU inspired the movie The Great Debaters, featuring Denzel Washington. The team is known globally for its numerous awards and accolades, featuring students from all fields of studies and notable alumni that include County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Rev. James Dixon, Houston’s first Black attorney, Otis King, and U.S. Rep. Barbara Jordan.
For many of the students, the trip to South Korea was their first time on a plane or even out of the country. The team finished fourth-place in 2024, earning the sweepstakes award and 21 individual prizes, the most of any of the other 27 teams competing across speech and debate. They also finished first-place in poetry and dramatic interpretation. Batiste-Roberts said she’s proud of the students’ work and hope they can continue making TSU and the community proud.
“We have maintained the history of the team, which has been winning and producing students who are making their mark all over this country,” said Batiste-Roberts.
Cover photo: Texas Southern University Debate Team Wins 5th World Championship Title/Photo credit: TSU/Instagram