And the award goes to...

In honor of the Academy Awards this weekend, I want to present my own award for the Best Film With a Conscience of 2007. Amazingly, this Hollywood flick had big stars, TV promotion, an amazing story based on real events, and beautiful cinematography - and yet it did not receive a single Oscar nomination!

I'm speaking of The Great Debaters. Perhaps because of its association with Oprah Winfrey's production company, or maybe because of the sappy trailer depicting what seemed to be a heartwarming tale of overcoming simple adversity, most people never heard that this film actually tells several powerful and important stories about the challenges of addressing violence, racism, and classism in the Jim Crow era and today. Especially of interest to FOR supporters is the depiction of CORE co-founder James Farmer who was on the Wiley College Debate team led by poet, teacher, and community organizer Melvin Tolson (played by Denzel Washington).

As the film follows the debaters, the audience is treated to meaningful dialogue on topics that were as controversial and pressing in 1935 as they are today, including justification of social welfare systems and even the morality of using violence to combat injustice. Farmer would grow to be a leading proponent of Gandhian nonviolence in the U.S. civil rights movement.

When I saw this film in December, I walked out of the theater confident that award nominations would shower upon the amazing performances by Denzel Washington and Forrest Whitaker, the engaging and enlightening script, and the compelling and entertaining storytelling of Denzel Washington's direction. While The Great Debaters was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Picture, and was the winner of three NAACP Image Awards, I was shocked and disappointed to see that it did not join the list of films recognized as last year's best by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Please take the opportunity to see it as soon as you can. I'll be amazed (again) if you don't agree that this was the best passed-over film of 2007.