Jayla Jackson, 16 and Emani Stanton, 17, made history last week as the first Black female duo to win the Harvard Debate Council‘s international annual summer competition.
Jackson and Stanton secured the fourth consecutive championship for their Atlanta-based team, which has an undefeated 10-0 record. The topic of debate was, “Resolved: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization should substantially increase its defense commitments in the Baltic States.”
To quote from blackenterprise.com:
Each summer, the Harvard Debate Council, one of the oldest campus organizations at Harvard University, hosts a summer residential program for hundreds of gifted youths from over 15 countries around the world who converge on campus for two weeks of intensive study, which culminates in a program-wide debate tournament.
This year’s residency and competition were held virtually due to COVID-19 protocols.
Victors Jackson and Stanton are current members of the Atlanta-based Harvard Diversity Project, an initiative founded by award-winning debate coach and author Brandon P. Fleming.
To hear Jackson and Stanton talk about their triumph on npr.org, click below: