This week's hero is...
Henrietta Bell Wells
Henrietta Wells (born Henrietta Bell) was born on October 11, 1912 in Houston, Texas. She grew up in a neighborhood that was very segregated and very racist at the time. She attended Phyllis Wheatley High School and graduated in 1929. After that she enrolled in Wiley College (a segregated school) with a scholarship. There she met an English professor named Melvin Tolson who invited her to join the college's debated team. Tolson was a well-known poet who believed that argumentation was good way to improve mental alertness.
Wells was the only female member of the debate team, but she quickly established herself as being able to deliver a very effective argument. She and her team went on to have debate challenges with numerous other black colleges, and won them all. However, a defining moment for the Wiley debate team wass when Professor Tolson chose to challenge the debate team of the University of Michigan (an all-white college). To everyone's surprise, the debate team from UM accepted the challenge. At the debate itself, neither team was declared a winner. Never the less, it was recorded as the first ever interracial debate between colleges. Professor Tolson and Henrietta Wells later considered it a step forward for civil rights. The team from Wiley College later won the most well known victory when it defeated the National Debate Champion, University of Southern California. Wells herself was instrumental in this victory.
Henrietta Wells had to eventually leave the team after just over a year due to financial problems. She went on to marry and become a teacher and social worker. She later served as the Dean of Women at Dillard University. She eventually retired after teaching for many decades. Henrietta Wells died on February 27, 2008 at the age of 95.
Today Henrietta Wells is considered to be a pioneering debater. She was a woman who grew up in a harsh world at a very harsh time. Yet she made the best of it and used her wits to live her life in the best way she could. Her actions took part in helping to end segregation and step forward for equality. I believe that she is definitely someone to be held in high regard.
Wells was the only female member of the debate team, but she quickly established herself as being able to deliver a very effective argument. She and her team went on to have debate challenges with numerous other black colleges, and won them all. However, a defining moment for the Wiley debate team wass when Professor Tolson chose to challenge the debate team of the University of Michigan (an all-white college). To everyone's surprise, the debate team from UM accepted the challenge. At the debate itself, neither team was declared a winner. Never the less, it was recorded as the first ever interracial debate between colleges. Professor Tolson and Henrietta Wells later considered it a step forward for civil rights. The team from Wiley College later won the most well known victory when it defeated the National Debate Champion, University of Southern California. Wells herself was instrumental in this victory.
Henrietta Wells had to eventually leave the team after just over a year due to financial problems. She went on to marry and become a teacher and social worker. She later served as the Dean of Women at Dillard University. She eventually retired after teaching for many decades. Henrietta Wells died on February 27, 2008 at the age of 95.
Today Henrietta Wells is considered to be a pioneering debater. She was a woman who grew up in a harsh world at a very harsh time. Yet she made the best of it and used her wits to live her life in the best way she could. Her actions took part in helping to end segregation and step forward for equality. I believe that she is definitely someone to be held in high regard.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/12/us/12wells.html
http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2008/03/17/henrietta_bell_wells_96_was_on_great_debate_team/
http://archive.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/articles/2008/03/17/henrietta_bell_wells_96_was_on_great_debate_team/
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