watch and learn from Howard and Samford University students as they engage in dynamic discussions on pressing issues, showcasing their talents in logic, rhetoric, and persuasion.
Maybe add a short paragraph here explaining how many people the event venue can hold. We don't have any past events to put here (becouse its a new), but maybe this is a selling point.
Add a short description of the amount of potential vendors and other event sponsers who are going to be attending this event. Might include a couple by name if that is helpful.
Add a full description of the prize or scholarship here. Who is eleibable and what is needed to enter the prize.
Elandrea Baker is a second-year political science major and sociology minor from Kansas City, Missouri. Elandrea has been a part of the Howard University Speech and Debate team since 2023. Elandrea brings eloquence and passion to the team. This eloquence and passion were recognized at the 2023 National Speech and Debate Association National Tournament where she finished as a quarterfinalist in Original Oratory. In addition to her accomplishment in 2023, Elandrea was a quarterfinalist in 2022 at the National Tournament in Big Questions Debate.
Elandrea possesses a versatile speaking style that is powerful, strong, and articulate. Outside of speech and debate, Elandrea uses her voice as a conductor for change. Advocating for several groups within her community. Elandrea is dedicated to serving the communities around her through service and kindness. This is seen in her time teaching high school speech and debate at Classic Debate Camp this summer. Her education and dedication to this event are reflected in her continued mentorship of the next generation. A quote that inspires Elandrea daily is, “A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus."-Martin Luther King Jr.
Robert “Khalil” Kelly is a Junior Honors Finance major with a minor in Strategic Legal Communications, hailing from Roosevelt, New York. A dedicated member of the Howard University Speech and Debate Team since 2022, Khalil has earned recognition as the national runner-up in Slam Poetry at the 2023 HBCU Speech and Debate Championship and as the International Spun Space Debate Champion as a member of Team Cadmium.
Currently serving as the President of the Speech and Debate Team for the 2024-2025 academic year, Khalil's leadership has been instrumental in driving the team’s continued success. He is an Executive Leadership Council Scholar, an AltFinance Fellow, and the Junior Representative for the School of Business Executive Leadership Honors Program. His leadership extends further with his past role as a Howard University School of Business Senator and his experience as a Future Leaders Fellow with the African American Mayors Association, where he contributed to shaping public policy and leadership initiatives.
Robert is an attentive clarity-seeker and identifies ways to succeed even in the midst of disruption. His passions lie in entrepreneurship, law, and public policy—fields where he aims to make a lasting impact. As an honors student in the School of Business, he leverages his diverse experiences to foster innovation and drive meaningful change. Khalil’s journey at Howard University is characterized by a relentless pursuit of excellence and a dedication to service, both on and off campus.A quote that motivates Khalil is "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter" – Martin L. King Jr"
TJ Riggs was the Top Speaker and Champion of the 2024 George Ziegelmueller Invitational. He is a 3x National Debate Tournament invitee and has been one of the top college debaters on the national circuit. He is a recent recipient of the Truman Scholarship Award and intends to attend law school and practice civil rights litigation.
He currently is involved with Amnesty International in abolishing the death penalty here in Alabama.
You can find more about TJ Riggs here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tj-riggs-999771222
Maddox Gates was a Harvard Round Robin Invitee for the 10 teams in the United States his first-year in debate. He was a 2x National Debate Tournament invitee and made history as one of Samford’s strongest debaters in its long history.
You can find more about Maddox
here:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddoxgates
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Professor Angela D. Minor has earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Arts, and a Master’s in Library Science with a concentration in Law Librarianship, and her JurisDoctor, all from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Her most recent accomplishment came from Howard University’s School of Divinity where she obtained a Master of Divinity. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Cathy Hughes School of Communications and Director of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Forensics Program that consists of two award-winning teams: the Howard University Mock Trial Team and the Speech and Debate Team housed out of the Department of Communication Studies, formerly known as, Strategic, Legal and Management Communication.
She is a licensed attorney in the state of Maryland, and the District of Columbia and the co-founder, of the Law Offices of MINOR & WILLCOX, LLC, along with her beloved and late Mother, Willie Ann Willcox, Esq., with locations in Maryland and the District of Columbia. She has worked with the Rev. Dr. Barbara A. Reynolds and the Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr.
Foundation for the autobiography of Dr. Coretta Scott King. She continuously represents countless citizens in the Washington Metropolitan area on civil, family law, and estate planning matters. She lives by the quote: “When you educate a man, you educate a man, when you Educate a Woman You Educate a Generation!”A Black Female who inspired her most has always been her beloved Mother, WillieAnn Willcox, Esq.
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While at Samford, Lee Quinn has coached the American Debate Association National Champions (2021), the American Debate Association Top Speaker (2022), and just finished leading to its highest ranking in school history (3rd place in the ADA Rankings).
While debating at Wake Forest University, he earned the Top Speaker in the Nation honor at the American Debate Association National Debate Tournament.
Degrees and Certifications
JD, Law, University of Alabama, 2018BA, Classical Studies/ Political Science, Wake Forest University, 2015
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