According to the Wall Street Journal, where the story was previously published, the inmates were not allowed to use the Internet for research (to prepare for the debate), and the facility in which they were imprisoned had to approve which material they could study from. The debate team has been doing so since 2014, also beating debate teams of other notable schools such as West Point and the University of Vermont.

If there were ever any “moral victories” gained by Black Society from a situation, then it definitely took place at Napanoch, NY last month. Perhaps this could be used as an impetus to shed light on the much-needed TRUE rehabilitation of Black men and women who have been railroaded through the prison industrial complex, and not the empty labels of “rehabilitation” that these institutions love to hang their hats on.

Although Eastern New York Correctional Facility’s victory over academic powerhouses such as Harvard and West Point certainly do not end the system of white supremacy, it opens yet another door of possibility to young Melanoid people, showing them that their brains are the most powerful tools they possess. If used correctly, they can (and will) work in conjunction with other great Black Minds to build a better Black Society of tomorrow.

B. Clark