ADVANCED EDUCATION
WILEY DEBATE SOCIETY
THE NEW IDEA IN A NEW PLACE
It was at this time that Farmer also learned first-hand about the true injustices in his world. He soon had seen many of the things his mother had hoped to shelter him from, the harsh reality that was Southern Racism and Segregation. Through this discovery, and with the help of his fellow teammates and coach on the debate team, Farmer soon discovered what he would later want to protest.
While at Wiley College, Farmer partook in many student activities. Perhaps the most popular, and the one that would prove to be the most influential to him, was his activity as a principal on the Wiley National Champion Debate team. While on the team, Farmer not only won many competitions, he also perfected his speaking and speech writing abilities, traits he would later use in his activism.
Due to his parents’ strong belief in education, Farmer started college at the all Black school where his father taught, Wiley College. At the young age of 14, Farmer was looked at by many at the school as different and strongly educated. He graduated from the college in 1938 at the age of 18, and continued on to Howard University’s School of Religion where he graduated in 1941 with a Divinity Degree.