Founded in the fall of 1985 at Tennessee State University by Dr. Amiri AI­-Hadid, The Great Debate is an intellectual and cultural forum that debates current issues and social problems from the perspectives of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz and a Synthesis of these two perspectives.

The Great Debate echoes traditional debates between African American leaders such as the Frederick Douglass and Henry H Garnet debates (1840's), Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Dubois debates (1890's-1910's), as well as the historical debates on Slavery such as the Abraham Lincoln and Steven Douglas debates of 1858.

The Great Debate is designed to develop intellectual skills and increase cultural awareness as an integral part of Academic Support Classes at universities such as Xavier University, Kentucky State University and The Ohio State University as well as other institutions seeking to catapult students into leadership positions in student government associations, greek-lettered organizations, social and professional organizations and in the community at-large.

The Great Debate has inevitably developed into a noble society with honor known as The Great Debate Honor Society which is rooted in the cultural principles of the Nguzo Saba or Seven Principles of the Traditional African Value System and the ancient Egyptian concept of Ma'at - Truth, Balance, Order, Law, Morality and Justice.