Melvin B. Tolson
American poet, educator and politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Melvin Beaunorus Tolson (February 6, 1898 – August 29, 1966) was an American poet, educator, columnist, and politician. As a poet, he was influenced both by Modernism and the language and experiences of African Americans, and he was deeply influenced by his study of the Harlem Renaissance.[1]
As a debate coach at the historically black Wiley College in Marshall, Texas, Tolson led a team that pioneered interracial college debates against white colleges in the segregated South.[2] This work was depicted in 2007 biopic The Great Debaters, produced by Oprah Winfrey and starring and directed by Denzel Washington as Tolson.[2][3]