For well over a century, Historically Black College and Universities (HBCU) have produced many of the American nation’s most prolific African-American thinkers, professionals and leaders. Even so, the HBCU’s historical mission and vision faces questions to its relevance by detractors who argue that these educational institutions are no longer needed in a post-segregation era. HBCUstory, Inc. offers a counter-narrative, one that reflects the good work HBCUs have done and are doing. In partnership with the Nashville Public Library, HBCUstory, Inc. proudly presents the 2013 HBCUstory Symposium featuring a two-part focus offering opportunities for academicians and advanced students to share their current work on HBCUs (theoretical) and shed light on the most successful programs and best-practices currently underway at HBCUs around the nation (practical).

The symposium's keynote speaker Micheal J. Sorrell is the 34th president of Paul Quinn College in Dallas, Texas and is the reigning "HBCU Male President of the Year." Under his trans-formative leadership, Paul Quinn demolished fifteen abandoned buildings, achieved full accreditation with the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) and partnered with PepsiCo to transform its football field into the two-acre "WE Over Me Farm." In short, Paul Quinn is experiencing one of the greatest turnarounds in the history of higher education.