Debate is Hard.

Debate is hard. It demands listening to and grappling with arguments that you or I might find uncomfortable, troubling, or even deeply offensive. It requires humility—the willingness to consider that the other side might be right—and the resilience to defend our beliefs when challenged.

Debate might be hard, but the alternative is an even tougher pill to swallow: a society where millions refuse to engage with or even hear what their fellow citizens believe. Without debate, we become tribal, driven further apart and further away from truth. I started Incubate Debate in 2019 to try to change that.

Incubate Debate at the University of North Florida (February 2025)

Over the past six years, we’ve hosted more than 100 no-cost, in-person debates, welcoming thousands of middle and high school students. Many arrive in the morning believing that anyone who supports XYZ is a fascist or communist worthy of contempt—only to discover, through rigorous debate, that they were wrong: you can disagree with someone and still respect the heck out of them. Many more students come to our tournaments believing strongly in XYZ—only to change their mind in the face of evidence presented by their peers.

Our debates are designed to promote these very reckonings. That’s why this past year students have debated the removal of controversial statues, birthright citizenship, and DEI.

Some students find our topics—like our current topic on mass deportations—uncomfortable at first. They’re not wrong. Some topics do provoke discomfort, but through discomfort, we grow.

Incubate refuses to follow the path of the National Speech and Debate Association, which in 2023 cancelled their national debate topic—“Resolved: Civil disobedience in a democracy is morally justified”—after receiving complaints that it "was putting new students in a position to argue or listen to arguments that are not aligned with their own beliefs about issues of social equity and justice.”

At Incubate, we don’t cancel topics because they make students uncomfortable. We lean into them. Shielding students from hard conversations doesn’t prepare them for the real world—it weakens them. Debate should challenge, provoke, and sharpen—not coddle.

Yes, debate is hard, but that’s what makes it worth doing. Conversations on today’s most pressing issues have to happen, and we’re more committed than ever to incubating and sharing them.

Yesterday, we did that and were completely blown away by the response. We published video of our student debate on DEI programs, and in just 24 hours, it's been viewed nearly 100,000 times. The emails we've received in response remind us why our work is important.

"Refreshing to see students respectfully handling such a controversial topic."

"…your debate changed my views on DEI programs…I hadn't thought about it this way."

"Incubate Debate gives me hope for the future."

The next chapter of Incubate Debate will deepen our impact in three key areas:

• In-person debates: At the end of May, students from nine states—triple last year’s number—will compete at our sixth-annual National Championship in Sarasota.

• Classrooms: We're training middle and high school teachers to organize engaging classroom debates tied directly to what students are learning. U.S. History students debating the causes of World War I and Government students arguing Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.

• Amplify: Partnering with organizations like Open to Debate, we're amplifying our student debates to a national audience. Our 2024 National Championship final round on DEI aired on over 150 public radio stations, including NPR. Listeners at home, like my own grandmother, heard incredible young Americans tackle urgent issues with rigor, tact, and respect. We hope that our debates inspire Americans at home to not shy away from difficult debates on timely issues and instead to emulate our students in disagreeing agreeably.

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Debate is hard—but it’s made easier by our extraordinary students, parents, teachers, volunteers, and donors who believe in our mission of reviving open debate in America.

I would be honored to have your support as we continue to grow and serve students across the nation.

With thanks and appreciation,

James T. Fishback

Founder, Incubate Debate

james@incubatedebate.org

Incubate Debate at the University of North Florida (February 2025)