From Richmond Times-Dispatch
October 25, 2024
By Cliff Fleet III and Heather Mullins Crislip
Two hundred and fifty years ago, deep discussions and impassioned debates in Williamsburg ignited the flames of America’s Revolution. It was here that George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and other members of Virginia’s House of Burgesses shaped a movement to win our nation’s independence and establish a democratic system of self-government. Contained in these formative moments of our nation’s history are the lessons that can inspire new generations as we strive for a more perfect union.
Today, however, few Americans of any age feel optimistic about our collective progress toward that goal — a cynicism we see reflected in modern civic life every day.
According to the Pew Research Center, only 4% of Americans believe the political system is working extremely or very well, while another 23% believe it is working somewhat well. Further, only 16% of the public say they trust the federal government always or most of the time. That adults do not trust our government or our elected officials to act in our best interest is fracturing our communities and siphoning trust and goodwill.
What if we could change this by training the next generation to engage in civic life through thoughtful — and truly civil — discourse?
In middle and high school, speech and debate programs are incredibly effective methods for restoring civil discussion. These academic programs cultivate skills like communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and compromise, skills vitally important to becoming effective citizens. Typically, public schools have designated budgets for sports and academic activities, with income-generating sports like football and basketball often receiving the bulk of that funding. The return on investment in underfunded academic activities like speech and debate, however, is just as large, if not a bit larger, for our communities.
This month, The Richmond Forum and The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation launched a one-of-a-kind debate and speech event for Virginia’s youth designed specifically to channel the civic engagement of America’s founders. High-school students from across the commonwealth traveled to Williamsburg on Oct. 11 to participate in the inaugural “Revolutionary Rhetoric” tournament.
Throughout the weekend, students competed in congressional-style debate and oratory events at the Capitol and other historic buildings where 18th-century luminaries like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson once debated questions of freedom, independence, commerce, and human rights. All mock legislation and selected pieces for the competition related to events that would have occurred between 1770 and 1775.
The commitment and sheer excitement of the event’s participants was inspiring — boding well for our plans to expand it next year, thanks to the generous support of its sponsor, Hunton Andrews Kurth. The initiative itself reflects the overlap of our organizations’ missions, and perhaps most of all, our shared hopes for America’s future.
The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation fulfills its mission — that the future may learn from the past — through rigorous research and its complete, fact-based presentation of America’s formative history. Both onsite and online, visitors to Colonial Williamsburg learn about the lives and experiences of people of the past from all walks of life on the eve of the American Revolution, whether they served in the House of Burgesses or endured the unjust pains of slavery. The goal of the foundation’s historians, curators, and interpreters is not to dictate what its visitors think, but rather to encourage and inspire critical thinking and discussion about the people and events of history.
Since 1987, The Richmond Forum has presented world leaders, subject matter experts, and prominent figures in public policy, arts, science, law, and business to spark meaningful and often challenging dialogue. To empower the next generation of Virginia’s leaders through civil discourse, the forum began a speech and debate initiative in 2018 to establish and support debate and speech programs in public schools throughout the Richmond region.
We encourage you to join our movement: Help us build a better civic life for our nation through civil discourse. Encourage the young people in your life to participate in speech and debate or volunteer yourself as a tournament judge. Be a model for others by seeking more information and other perspectives to inform your own. And look to the past to understand our present, so that we can build a better future.
