#6: George McLaurin Attends College
George McLaurin might not be a household name for some families, but he sure should be. McLaurin was the first African American student admitted to the University of Oklahoma. This photograph shows McLaurin attending class with his white classmates. As you can see, he was forced to sit in the corner away from everyone else due to his race. Despite the racism he faced while attending the university, he did a lot to attend and change history.
McLaurin held a master’s degree and was a retired professor when he applied for a graduate program at the University of Oklahoma. The school denied his application, which he appealed in a series of cases that culminated in the Supreme Court case McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents. Although he won the case and was admitted, he still faced extreme racism while attending classes. Some professors even made this highly accomplished, educated man sit outside the classroom, away from his white classmates. McLaurin made history for pushing against the racist “separate but equal” policy so many businesses relied on to maintain the status quo.