Black History Month

Inspired by recommendations from the African American/Black Coaches’ Caucus and in partnership with Wiley College, we have created a series of classroom and tournament resources to celebrate Black History Month. We invite you to commemorate the month in your school or community with our special Spark Leaders posters featuring speech and debate coaches and alumni! In addition, you’ll find resources to enhance your next practice, classroom, or tournament experience during the month of February and beyond. Get started below!

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Poster Series

Click each image below to view individual posters, or download the complete set.
Know an alum the NSDA should feature in the future? Email us!

Jarrius Adams

Kalen Allen

Andrea Ambam

SPEECH AND DEBATE HAS GIVEN ME THE CONFIDENCE TO ENGAGE MY COMMUNITY, THE DESIRE TO SEE ALL SIDES OF AN ISSUE, AND THE TOLERANCE TO EMBRACE THOSE WHO SEE THE WORLD IN THEIR OWN WAY. - Byron Arthur

Byron Arthur

FORENSICS HAS SHOWN ME THAT THIS WORLD IS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN ME. IF I’M NOT FIGHTING FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S FREEDOM, THEN I MIGHT AS WELL BE IN CHAINS MYSELF. - Jaylon Bolden

Jaylon Bolden

IF YOU WANT TO LEARN HOW TO QUICKLY USE WORDS TO CONVEY YOUR POINT UNDER PRESSURE, OR IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO BRING THE ABSTRACT INTO SOMETHING CONCRETE AND RELATABLE... DEBATE. - E. Steve Bolden II

E. Steve Bolden II

GROWING UP IN RURAL MISSISSIPPI AND BECOMING NATIONALLY KNOWN FOR THE SKILLS AND ABILITIES I DEVELOPED DURING HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE SPEECH AND DEBATE OPENED A MULTITUDE OF DOORS, INCLUDING SCHOLARSHIPS AND EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES. - Khaatim Boyd

Khaatim Boyd

SPEECH TAUGHT ME THAT MY VOICE IS IMPORTANT. I’VE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT MYSELF AND WHAT I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT. FOR THAT, I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL. SPEECH CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE GREATER! - Treya Brown

Treya Brown

SPEECH AND DEBATE BROADENED MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE WORLD AROUND ME AND DEEPENED MY UNDERSTANDING OF MYSELF AND MY ABILITIES. - Courtney Janine Brunson

Courtney Janine Brunson

DEBATE HAS PROVIDED ME A WAY TO PERFORMATIVELY EXPRESS MY IDENTITY AS AN INTELLECTUAL AND HAS GIVEN ME THE COURAGE TO SPEAK MY SOCIAL LOCATION INTO EXISTENCE IN HOPES TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO DO THE SAME. - Daryl Burch

Daryl Burch

I BECAME A PROFESSOR BECAUSE I WANTED TO ENGAGE IN THE KINDS OF INTELLECTUAL INQUIRY THAT I FIRST LEARNED TO LOVE WHILE CUTTING CARDS AND WRITING FRONTLINES FOR POLICY DEBATE. - Brittney Cooper

Brittney Cooper

Dr. Tommy J. Curry

FORENSICS TAUGHT ME THAT I AM NOT ONLY CAPABLE BUT POWERFUL. IT TAUGHT ME HOW TO RESEARCH, HOW TO WRITE, HOW TO ARTICULATE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY HOW TO DRESS. - Lyric Davis

Lyric Davis

Nefertiti Dukes

MALCOM X SAID ‘EDUCATION IS OUR PASSPORT TO THE FUTURE, FOR TOMORROW BELONGS TO THE PEOPLE WHO PREPARE FOR IT TODAY.’ HE WAS INDEED RIGHT. SPEECH AND DEBATE IS A MAGNIFICENT WAY FOR STUDENTS TO PREPARE FOR THEIR FUTURE AND OUR COLLECTIVE FUTURES. - Dr. Mike Edmonds

Dr. Mike Edmonds

Cornelia Fraser

Dr. Thomas F. Freeman

Nick Gilyard

FORENSICS CULTIVATED A GIFT I DIDN’T KNOW I HAD. THAT GIFT WAS TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE ACCURATE AND HEARTFELT MESSAGES TO DIVERSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE. - Austin Groves

Austin Groves

Rasha Harvey

Andre P. Hylton

Ryan James

I WOULD’VE NEVER IMAGINED MYSELF AS A SECOND-YEAR LAW STUDENT, A NATIONAL DEBATE CHAMPION, A FIRST-ROUND WINNER, A HISTORY MAKER, A COMMUNITY SERVER, A GAME CHANGER. - Korey Johnson

Korey Johnson

WHEN YOU GIVE VOICE TO YOUR THOUGHTS AND GIVE THAT VOICE A LISTENER, REAL LIFE MAGIC HAPPENS. PARTICIPATION IN SPEECH AND DEBATE HELPS ME EQUIP STUDENTS FOR A LIFETIME OF MAGICAL MOMENTS. - Renita Johnson

Renita Johnson

Norisha Kirts

Dr. Tommie Lindsey, Jr.

SPEECH AND DEBATE TAUGHT ME TO HOW TO THINK, LISTEN, AND SPEAK. TODAY I USE THOSE SKILLS TO EMPOWER OTHERS THROUGH FORENSICS TO IMPROVE THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITIES. - Chad Meadows

Chad Meadows

Devane Murphy

Nicole Nave

FORENSICS HELPED ME BECOME MORE CONFIDENT AND DECISIVE AND PROVIDED ME WITH THE SKILLS I USE EVERY DAY TO MAKE A NAME FOR MYSELF IN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD. - Brent O'Connor

Brent O’Connor

BECAUSE OF SPEECH AND DEBATE, I UNDERSTAND AND CAN COMMUNICATE POLITICAL, ECONOMIC, AND SOCIAL ISSUES WITH DISTINCT DEPTH AND BREADTH. - Walter Paul

Walter Paul

IN A COUNTRY THAT SILENCES MARGINALIZED VOICES, FORENSICS IS A COMMUNITY THAT NOT ONLY ENCOURAGES ME AS A BLACK MAN TO USE MY VOICE BUT EXALTS IT. - Drake Pough

Drake Pough

Kristen Pride

EVERY DAY AND IN EVERY FACET OF MY LIFE, I USE THE SKILLS LEARNED FROM MY TIME IN DEBATE. AS A RESULT, DEBATE IS NOT SIMPLY AN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY TO ME, BUT A WAY OF LIFE! - James Roland

James Roland

DEBATE IS ONE OF THE MOST TRANSFORMATIVE ACTIVITIES I’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN. DEBATE ALLOWED ME TO NOT ONLY GAIN CRITICAL SKILLS, SUCH AS RESEARCH, ANALYTICAL, AND SPEAKING—IT ALLOWED ME TO GAIN LIFELONG FRIENDS. - Kofi Sam

Kofi Sam

Kiyah Sanders

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE VALUE OF HARD WORK. SPEECH AND DEBATE GIVES YOU THE SKILLS TO TELL STORIES AND MAKE ARGUMENTS, TWO THINGS NEEDED TO CHANGE LIVES AND TRANSFORM SOCIETY. - Aaron Timmons

Aaron Timmons

BEING ABLE TO ORGANIZE AND ARTICULATE MY VIEWS PREPARED ME WELL FOR LAW SCHOOL AND BEYOND. MY CAREER AS A LAWYER, STATE REPRESENTATIVE, AND NOW MAYOR SIGNIFICANTLY BENEFITED FROM MY PARTICIPATION IN SPEECH AND DEBATE. - Sylvester Turner

Sylvester Turner

DEBATE CHANGED MY LIFE BY PROVIDING ME A PATHWAY TO COLLEGE, A NETWORK OF SUPPORTIVE AND LIKE-MINDED COLLEAGUES, AND THE ACADEMIC TOOLS I NEEDED TO REMAIN IN THE DRIVER’S SEAT OF MY EDUCATIONAL DESTINY. - Cameron Ward

Cameron Ward

I HONESTLY WOULD NOT BE WHERE OR WHO I AM WITHOUT DEBATE. IT EXPOSED ME TO NEW IDEAS, NEW PEOPLE, AND NEW PLACES WHILE EQUIPPING ME WITH THE SKILLS TO MAKE AND COGENTLY JUSTIFY GOOD DECISIONS. - Melvin Washington

Melvin Washington

DEBATE GAVE ME A VOICE AT A TIME IN MY LIFE WHEN I FELT LIKE NOBODY WAS LISTENING. NOW I USE THAT VOICE TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF OTHERS. - Sarah Carthen Watson

Sarah Carthen Watson

Cory Williams

FORENSICS TAUGHT ME THE POWER OF BEING VULNERABLE THROUGH PERFORMANCE. IT GAVE ME THE TOOLS AND CONFIDENCE I NEED TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY IN THE REAL WORLD. - Darius Wilson

Darius Wilson

FORENSICS GIVES YOU A SENSE OF CONFIDENCE IN SPEAKING IN FRONT OF PEOPLE, A SENSE OF PRESENCE, AND A SENSE OF PRIDE. IT’S ABOUT THE POWER OF WORDS TO INFLUENCE IDEAS, TO UNCOVER A HIGHER TRUTH, TO CHANGE MINDS, AND FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, EVEN TO CHANGE LIVES. - Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey

SPEECH AND DEBATE IS A LIFE SKILL, NOT JUST A SPEECH SKILL. ACTIVE PARTICIPATION IN THIS PROGRAM CHANGES LIVES FOREVER THROUGH WALKING IN THE SHOES OF GIANTS. - Jacci Young

Jacci Young

NOT ONLY DID FORENSICS GIVE ME A BEAUTIFUL HUSBAND (DUO PARTNER) AND SON, IT GAVE ME THE STRENGTH OF MIND AND CHARACTER TO BE A WIFE AND MOTHER. THIS ACTIVITY LITERALLY CHANGED MY LIFE. - Jamaka Young-Davis

Jamaka Young-Davis

Download All Posters

More Alumni

NSDA Poster Template

You can make your own posters featuring current students, coaches, or alumni from your program! Download the template below and follow the instructions to start creating.

This resource is provided under the framework of our Honor Society. We ask that you please feature individuals who live by our Code of Honor.

Get the Template