(2007) Directed by Denzel Washington. Melvin B. Tolson (Denzel Washington) is the kind of educator who truly recognizes the remarkable power of knowledge. An outspoken Wiley College professor who boldly challenged the discriminatory Jim Crow laws of the 1930s, Tolson recognizes that his young debate students possess the spark of a new generation. Convinced that they could invoke significant change if given the confidence and tools needed, the tireless educator implores his students to take responsibility for the future while furtively attempting to protect them from his undercover role as an organizer for the Southern Tenant Farmers. [Drama]