BEYOND AN EXPANSION OF PRIVILEGE: NEW URBAN VOICES AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY by Larry E. Moss

True diversity cannot be achieved ing our celebratory euphoria. as the family, schools, churches, and gov- without discomfort. And so it is that the As I have argued elsewhere, the real- ernment are not expected to work. It trans- high school establishment ity of George Washington is not the reality mits a culture within which behavior deemed anxiously observes the emergence of thou- of George Washington’s slaves. One’s point aberrant by middle class American stan- sands of new young urban voices queuing of perspective is everything. And nowhere dards is nothing less than the logical re- up for their turns behind the podium. Muted is this observation more important than in sponse to one’s desperate conditions. The conversations from both sides of the class the effort to anticipate (and to some extent toxic community inflicts emotional damage divide detail the challenges before us. guide) outcomes occasioned by the inclu- and leaves internal scars even upon those Coaches of established programs from privi- sion of thousands of young students from residents who maintain an outward appear- leged communities often view the new depressed areas of this country among the ance of normalcy. styles and different accents of the new ur- ranks of high school policy debaters. The initial response of those residing ban debaters as intellectual dilution. New The overriding questions are these. in America’s toxic communities is to seek to coaches at emerging Urban Debate League Toward what end do we labor to facilitate escape. Indeed, urban demographers point schools observe a bewildering array of tra- the entry of new urban debaters into the out that in recent years, minorities are leav- ditional tournament procedures and com- policy debate arena? And how shall we ing inner city communities and taking up petitive mores and see racial and class hos- measure the success of our efforts to in- residence in the suburbs more rapidly than tility toward urban kids already weighed sure that the benefits of policy debate are are whites. But the toxic community re- down with societal disapprobation. What- extended to new urban debaters? mains. And for every toxic community resi- ever shall we do? This brings us back to the matter of dent who finds a “way out”, that escaping Not to worry! As Little League base- perspective. Many have argued that the test resident is replaced by newer immigrants ball programs all over America have amply of our efforts should be whether participa- and a rapidly expanding impoverished demonstrated, even well-meaning adults tion in policy debate results in improve- youth population whose residential choices have an annoying tendency to really get in ments in the grades and/or cognitive abili- are limited to such toxic communities. the way of a kid having fun. And frankly, ties of individual students. Others would For many new urban debaters, the the reason most kids work so hard at mas- point to the number of urban debate stu- opportunities created by their mastery of tering policy debate is because the activity dents using the activity as a ticket to col- policy debate represent a ticket out of the is fun for them. lege and consequently to a better chance at toxic community. Already, we have wit- As facilitators of forensic competi- the good life. For some of us, however, both nessed communities of privilege expanding tion, we adults need simply to promote the of these outcomes, while laudable, are nec- to allow room for the rapidly ascending stars competition, explain the rules and get out essary but not sufficient conditions upon of urban debate and we are justly proud of of the way. The kids will do the rest. We which to base claims of achievement. this accomplishment. need no special guidelines or allowances. One of the most salient aspects of the But lest we delude ourselves, we need A level playing field would be nice, but it is social reality of many of our new urban de- to be clear that this expansion of privilege not mandatory. The genius of youth is that baters is that they are residents of toxic (in American society as well as at all levels they are able to devise creative and innova- communities. These communities are not of policy debate) comes not because of the tive ways of making competition both fun toxic in an ecological or chemical sense. enlightened altruism of the traditional ii and equitable if they can escape the heavy Rather they are toxic in a social and envi- gatekeepers. Rather, this expansion occurs handed imposition of adult authority. ronmental sense. These communities are because the demographics of this country’s Diversity in high school policy de- by-products of the logic of economic de- growth dictate that it be so. Recent Census bate is rapidly becoming a fact of life. velopment which seeks to configure urban projections reveal that the minority commu- Spurred on by actions such as those of the space in a manner best suited to tap the nity will account for nearly 90 percent of Open Society Institute, students and teach- profit potential of existing global economic the total growth in the U. S. population be- ers from traditionally underserved schools forces regardless of the impact of such a tween 1995 and 2050. During this same time have gotten a foot in the policy debate door configuration on community residents. period, the minority youth population will and that door will not be allowed to close More than most communities, the more than double while the white youth again. This genie is truly out of the bottle. toxic community is an artful teacher. It population will decline. In fact, by the year And as Brent Farrand recently noted, policy teaches subliminally but profoundly. The 2025, it is projected that the minority popu- debate will be truly enriched by the contri- toxic community provides context for one’s lations will outnumber the non-minority butions of new generations of urban debat- strivings. It defines the parameters of col- populations (white folk) in California, Texas, i ers. lective expectation. The toxic community is Hawaii, New Mexico and the District of Co- But allow me a cautionary note dur- a place where basic social institutions such lumbia. And in thirteen of the other most populous states, the minority population in unintended and unarticulated conse- be held in the dominant language of the 2025 will constitute more than a third of the quences of social policy. Policy debate community. Students should publish com- total state population. teaches students how to research policy munity newsletters and journals to promote Much of the dramatic minority popu- issues and how to evaluate the strength and community-wide conversations. We must lation growth cited above will occur within veracity of . take advantage of public access television America’s toxic communities. In recognition And just as important, policy debate and community forums to generate critical of this fact, 40 million privileged Americans competition teaches self-confidence. Stu- dialogue about the factors contributing to have already moved into walled enclaves dents learn that work leads to success and the toxicity of our communities. Our stu- that sub- division developers call “gated that collaborative work leads to consistent dents should appear at public hearings to communities.” For those of us fortunate success. Finally, policy debate competition debate the merits of proposed legislation or enough to reside where true diversity lives, teaches students that the rules of the game of public ordinances that impact on our i.e. outside of the walls, we must shift our are often not neutral and, for that reason, community. They should form research col- focus from the effort to facilitate the entry the promulgated rules must always be ex- lectives to examine the factual underpinning of selected minority individuals into the ster- amined and often challenged. of proposed or existing public policies. ile sanctity found within the walls of privi- All of these attributes that policy de- Our students should be encouraged lege. We must rather struggle to transform bate can engender in its adherents are es- to seek out and exploit every opportunity the social realities that define the toxic en- sential to the success of any who would to take a stand in defense of the residents vironment outside of those walls. advocate on behalf of the residents of our of their communities. If we cannot all move We cannot abandon our toxic com- toxic communities. In order to take full ad- out of America’s toxic communities, then munities because those left behind, the ones vantage of the potential offered by policy we must make every effort to neutralize that who cannot get out, are people for whom debate, however, we need to reassess our toxicity. we care deeply. They are our parents, our thinking about what constitutes a success- i Brent Farrand "Urban Debate Leagues and the iii Role of Classroom Teachers in Guiding High School grandparents, our aunts, uncles and cous- ful policy debate program. We must seek Debating", The Rostrum, Volume 75, Number 4, Decem- ins, our friends and our neighbors. We must broader participation among students in the ber 2000 stay connected to these communities in or- activity. We must go beyond that strata of ii Nicholas Lemann, "The Myth of Community Development." Magazine, January der to deconstruct the social mythologies students who are likely to be consistent tro- 9, 1994. which masqueraded in our communities as phy winners and encourage those students iii Minority Business Development Agency, "Mi- articles of faith. We need to expose the to participate who might never win a trophy nority Population Growth: 1995 - 2050" U. S. Depart- ment of Commerce, September, 1999 myriad ways in which communities of privi- but who might have the courage to defend iv Everett McKenzie. Privatopia: Homeowner iv lege profit from the toxicity of our commu- an embattled community. Policy debate com- Associations and the Rise of Residential private Govern- nities. In short, we need persons from toxic petition has proven to a powerful tool for ment. (New Haven: Yale University Press) 1994 communities to stand and be advocates for students seeking to use higher education . (Larry E. Moss is a member of the Georgia persons unable to flee that toxic commu- as an escape from our toxic communities. Forensic Coaches Hall of Fame, Co- nity. We must now make it work for students who Founder of the Urban Debate Fortunately, from the perspective of will not go to college and for the communi- League and Technical Advisor to Urban George Washington’s slaves, policy debate ties in which they are destined to reside. Debate League Programs. In addition, Mr. competition provides an excellent tool with We must encourage students who Moss, former coach of the Therrell High which to prepare our students to become have attained the aforementioned attributes School Debate Team, is an NFL diamond advocates for those who reside in our toxic from policy debate competition to utilize key coach, first recipient of the Paul communities. Policy debate teaches stu- those skills on behalf of their communities. Slappey Diversity Award and currently a dents to move past prima facie explanations Our students should be sponsoring public visiting Associate Professor of Political and to search for explanations that more debates in their communities on issues im- Science at Spelman College.) accurately reflect their social realities. Mas- portant to those communities. And where tering the argument structure the dominant language in a community is requires students to become conscious of not English, those public debates should