Education was a controversial topic in the early half of the twentieth century in part due to sex-segregated school systems, which denied admission to women. Prior to the Great Depression, few women enrolled in college due to the unavailability of schools that offered education to women. In the 1930s, there was a change in the education system deeming segregated schools to be unconstitutional and women being allowed to attend college. Women were finally being accepted to universities; however, they did not have total access. This shift ties to The Great Debaters because Samantha Booke (based on the real experience of Henrietta Bell Wells) was the first woman on the Wiley College debate team.
Nash, Margaret A., and Lisa S. Romero. “‘Citizenship for the College Girl’: Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education for Women in the United States in the 1930s.” Teachers College Record, vol. 114, no. 2, Feb. 2012, pp.1–35. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=76252324&site=ehost-live&scope=site.
This source describes the little research that has been completed on women’s higher education within the 1930's. It addresses the different reasons as to why this may be in economic hardship where women were slowly increasing in attendance. This is a credible source from a database, and it relates to the film by looking at women in college similar to one of the Wiley College debaters at the time.
“Challenging Gender Stereotypes during the Depression: Female Students at the University of Washington.” Women at the UW, https://depts.washington.edu/depress/women_uw_ changing_roles.shtml.
Jacobs, Jerry A. “Gender Inequality and Higher Education.” Annual Review of Sociology, vol. 22, 1996, pp. 153–185. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/2083428.