DETROIT (September 22, 2025) – Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) will honor the award-winning Emerson Elementary-Middle School Debate Team at a banner unveiling ceremony on Friday, October 3, 2025, after the team captured the 2025 Umoja Debate League Middle School Championship this past June.

The Emerson debaters—Hailey Lewis (8th), Braylen Crowell (8th), Lamar Green (8th), Gregory Grant-Slaughter (7th), and William Pittman (8th)—earned the title after months of spirited competition across Detroit. Teammate Henry Cottingham (8th) was an integral part of the season’s success but was unable to join the team’s summer travel experience.

“Congratulations to the exceptional Emerson Elementary-Middle School Debate Team on this well-deserved championship. Your hard work, sharp thinking and commitment to excellence embody the very best of Detroit Public Schools Community District,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent, DPSCD.  “We are equally grateful to the families, teachers and our community partner, the Umoja Debate League, for preparing and supporting these students on their journey to victory. Keep striving, keep winning and keep rising—you are showing the entire city what is possible when talent meets opportunity.”

Their championship victory came with a unique prize: a seven-day “Civil Rights Pilgrimage,” August 11–17, 2025, planned and sponsored by the Umoja Debate League, led by Founder and Executive Director Jerjuan Howard.

The students and their coaches traveled through Atlanta, Birmingham, Montgomery, Selma, Memphis, Nashville, and Cincinnati, visiting historically significant Civil Rights landmarks and Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Highlights included guided tours of Civil Rights museums, conversations with individuals who lived the movement, and a walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge, site of the historic “Bloody Sunday.” Students documented their journey daily through written reflections and personal narratives.

“Emerson’s debate victory underscores the extraordinary talent found throughout every neighborhood school in Detroit. Emerson’s team is proof that diamonds exist in every corner of our city. Their success reminds us that all DPSCD students can achieve amazing things when given opportunity and support,” said Board Member Monique Bryant, Detroit Public Schools Community District.

The partnership between DPSCD and the Umoja Debate League exemplifies how community organizations and schools can collaborate to expand students’ horizons and deepen their understanding of history and civic engagement.

See below for a media invitation to the banner unveiling event.

Media Invitation

Members of the media are invited to cover the banner unveiling celebration:

When: Friday, October 3, 2025 at 1 PM
Where: Emerson Elementary-Middle School, Detroit
Who: Emerson Debate Team members, coaches, DPSCD leadership, and Umoja Debate League Founder Jerjuan Howard.