Great Movie...no debate

I have heard the accolades from everyone that I know, my mom, my aunts, friends, etc etc. So tonight, I went to see it...the Great Debaters and well, I loved it. I know it was to many, highly predictable and all-too inspirational, but why is that bad. I am the first to say the African-American community has plenty of "realism", at least that is what a majority of the hip-hop music says it is-real. So why not provide the world with a more positive illustration of not only African-American triumph, but the beginning of American change and movement. This movie was and is a testament to the perserverance and tenacity of the human spirit. It is the cry for equality-while standing beside adversity. It is a call for change in how African-Americans look at themselves...for to not know your history is to deny yourself the true identity of your being.

If you have not seen the film, here is the link http://www.thegreatdebatersmovie.com/ so you can go on there, see some highlights and be inspired to take it in. With all that is wrong with Hollywood, and the negative images it portrays of African-American people (majority of the time), for all the bufoonery that shows up on the movie screen i.e. First Sunday (I won't even provide the link for this foolishness), The Great Debaters gives the community something to take pride in and cheer about. Literally, when the movie was over the crowd applauded-white, black, hispanic-applauded. That is for real.

In return, I applaud Denzel Washington and Oprah Winfrey. I have been hard on Oprah before, but in hindsight much of my criticsm has been unfounded. Regardless of that, this in my opinion is one of their finest hours. There are plenty of black folk in showbiz, shucking and jiving all over the place, but these two highly regarded professionals-icons really-have utilized their talent and wallets to put forth a piece of work that strikes pride in our people. Bravo!