The Future
National HBCU Speech and Debate League
Consistent competition is the driving force for students to maintain the continual and determined practice with a practical goal. Tournaments give students gratification, recognition, and aspiration for which to strive. Learning and education become the product of the ambition to achieve. To create the foundation and a competition model, the creation of a National HBCU Speech and Debate League would provide students the educational benefits, reduce the vast competition and travel costs associated with forensics, and allow students multiple opportunities to participate in competition throughout their respective regions.
HBCU League Tournaments
HBCU League Tournaments will be administered sixteen times; eight in the fall and eight in the spring. The tournaments will travel around the region, allowing the travel burden to be spread among the participating institutions. All league tournaments will be administered and managed by the Regional Coordinators and the local tournament hosts. The National HBCU Speech and Debate League will administer participation grants, encompassing lodging, food, entry, and participation fees, and helping to offset travel costs. Entry and participation fees will cover site costs, judge costs, and hosting/maintenance fees associated with local sites. Because league tournaments will occur in major hubs with multiple HBCUs, like Dallas, Houston, Nashville, and Atlanta, travel grants for the local schools should not be necessary and can be extended to schools traveling from longer distances. Perhaps, transportation resources can be amalgamated for schools traveling from the same region, with the rental of charter buses, and thus stretching budgets.
Scholarships
It is no secret that higher education is the ticket to a better life. Students who attain degrees -- two-year, four-year, or postgraduate -- earn more and live longer. College helps families pull out of poverty, and the effects of education are felt across communities and through generations.
Students drop out for many reasons, but according to Scholarship America, the number-one reason students cite for having to quit? The need to work while attending school. As costs skyrocket, it’s becoming impossible to pay for college without working, but long work hours make it harder and harder to devote time to class and speech and debate. Though the skills developed in speech and debate are undeniable, students need time to devote to the development of these important skills. By overcoming the biggest hurdle of attaining higher education, financing, students can concentrate on the skills.
Professional Development
Coaches and regional coordinators will meet annually, where they will participate in a week-long professional development camp. At this camp, coaches will be trained in events, tournament administration, team management, recruitment, and other pertinent topics. Regional coordinators will be able to interact with coaches and work with the Executive Council to better meet the schools' needs within their regions.
Networking and Corporate Recruitment
This National HBCU Speech and Debate Championship is a perfect opportunity for corporations to seek the best and brightest from HBCUs. When corporations are looking for qualified and racially diverse individuals, this league and this tournament provide numerous opportunities for partnership and sponsorship. The National HBCU Speech and Debate Championship features an event called Interviewing. This event provides students with an opportunity to compete in a job interview and resume' contest.
The goal is to have corporate recruiters judge students in this event and provide qualified students with jobs and internships. To this end, there are several key individuals with whom we should make contact to solicit sponsorship and partnership in this event.
Debate Across the Curriculum Conference
Because there are other institutions that desire or need to implement the program of high engagement activities and learning, The National HBCU Speech and Debate Association would like to propose a conference focused on debate across the curriculum. Many institutions have questions and desire presentations on the subject. However, there are no current resources. This conference would help other institutions to implement the program, solidify the National HBCU Speech and Debate Association as the nation’s authority, and provide opportunities to consult with institutions wishing to implement the program.
Minority Coaching Academy
Currently, less than 1% of head coaches in collegiate forensics programs are African Americans. The number of head coaches that are any person of color is less than 5%. The number of students of color competing in forensics is estimated at less than 10%. Few students of color are continuing to become coaches. Thus, there are few advocates for students of color; coaching for students of color may be less effective; students are met with discrimination in collegiate forensics. In order to combat these issues, there need to be more students of color to be trained to become speech and debate coaches. Traditionally, coaches have training as speakers rather than coaches. Students are forced to develop as coaches through trial and error. There is currently one program in the country that seeks to train students to become coaches; however, there is no focus on the training of students of color to become coaches.
