U.S. speakers honor Black History Month throughout Georgia

February 14-17, 2009

Political Officer Erik Holmgren presents clips from "The Great Debaters"

Officers from Embassy Tbilisi traveled throughout Georgia to share personal stories and show and discuss the recently released feature film, "The Great Debaters," in honor of Black History Month 2009.

Jacquelyn Henderson, Consular Officer, spoke about the "Role of African-American Politicians in the U.S. Government," to Akaki Tsereteli State University students in Kutaisi on February 14. Ms. Henderson presented the stories of three pivotal African-American political figures in the U.S. government:   Colin Powell, the 65th United States Secretary of State; Condoleezza Rice, the 66th United States Secretary of State; and Barack Obama, the 44th and current President of the United States.  Students actively posed questions during the post-lecture discussion, focusing primarily on the recent U.S. presidential elections. Students were interested in the candidates' campaigning methods, in particular the new media used during the campaigns.

In Telavi on February 17, Political Officer Erik Holmgren presented clips from "The Great Debaters," which touched upon many social and racial issues in 1930s America.  Erik explained the significance of the movie today, how it serves as a means for Americans to look back, reflect and have real conversations about race and opportunity.  He also discussed the role of historically black universities and gave his views on the impact of Jim Crow laws, Civil Rights Legislation and racial prejudice in the U.S.  Afterwards, Erik took questions from the audience ranging from the current financial crisis to the status of black colleges in America today.

Nicole O'Brien, Political/Economic Officer, presented "The Great Debaters" at the American Corner in Khashuri on February 19th. The film, shown to a group of high school students, was used as a framework to discuss minorities and educational opportunities in the U.S. The concept of nationally-recognized, historically black colleges particularly intrigued the students, who asked several probing questions about the existence of such colleges today.  The students, having glimpsed the academic experience of an American minority group, left the discussion with a better understanding of discrimination and of the challenges faced by black students in the 1930s.

Joye Davis-Kirchner, Political Officer, traveled to Zugdidi on February 26, to discuss Black History Month with Georgian youth at the local American Corner.  Joye discussed the evolution of African-Americans' civil rights in America and used specific clips from "The Great Debaters" to illustrate.  Joye later engaged the students in a discussion about specific Supreme Court Cases, the principles and practicalities of following the rule of law and allowing due process to resolve civil liberties cases.