July 5, 2024 (newsweek.com) – This June, over 6,000 high school students gathered in Des Moines, Iowa, for the National Speech and Debate Tournament hosted by the National Speech and Debate Association (NSDA).
After a week of fierce competition, it wasn’t only students who walked away with major awards. Chicago Debates, a league in the National Association for Urban Debate Leagues (NAUDL), was honored with an award for advancing equity and inclusion in the speech and debate community.
“We didn’t expect to win by any stretch,” Chicago Debates Executive Director Anthony Bolden told Newsweek. “We recognize that our work is just part of a much larger picture, but to have the opportunity to have some of our efforts highlighted is really cool.”
Bolden accepted the Activating Equity Award, an honor co-created by Dr. Tommie Lindsey, the outgoing vice president of the NSDA Board of Directors.