His case, however, would prove a key precedent in the national fight against segregation, paving the way for the landmark 1954 case, Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, which established that separate was inherently unequal in all levels of education. George McLaurin was the first African American student admitted to the University of Oklahoma. I don’t know if I could ever be that brave. The racists are nothing but cowards. These conferences would be held in conjuction and would be renamed to honor African Americans that left a legacy at OU.

I can’t understand the collective hate of that time. I know what my grandparents had to suffer under in the Jim Crow South. In 1948 she won and the US Supreme Court ruled that African Americans had to have equal access of education as whites. George W. McLaurin (September 16, 1887 – September 4, 1968) was an American professor, and the first African-American to attend the University of Oklahoma.. McLaurin held a master's degree from the University of Kansas and was a retired professor living in Oklahoma City. esaym: Wow they all look so much more mature than today’s college kids. murdershescribbled: Hey! Balhannoth: This is why racism is still so raw for many people. thecuttingsark: I can’t wrap my head around segregation. African American students that have been admitted to OU for Fall 2021 or that are interested in applying for Fall 2022 are invited to participate and are introduced to current African American student leaders, faculty, staff, and alumni. I’m just saying, this photo and ones like it, always remind me of that one story. BoinkBoinkEtAliae: I can’t even imagine the fortitude it takes going someplace where you are unwelcome and likely to face physical and verbal abuse.

University authorities were required to deny him admission because of his race under Oklahoma statutes making it a misdemeanor to maintain, operate, teach, or attend a school at which both whites and blacks were enrolled or taught. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, Looks like you're using new Reddit on an old browser.

Despite this, his name is still among the top three students of the university George McLaurin, an African American man, applied for admission to the all-White University of Oklahoma to obtain a doctoral degree in education. Misleading_Username: Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher applied to OU in 1946 but was denied bc she was black and took them to court. faithle55: Does anybody know anything about how he was treated by his fellow students? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. TheUncler: The joke’s on them; Dude’s got the executive desk. Text: 405-400-1384 TIL. George W. McLaurin provided the Oklahoma civil rights case that damaged the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson “separate but equal” legal position beyond repair. George McLaurin, first African-American student admitted to the University of Oklahoma, forced to sit apart from white students. From 1966 to 1974, Lewis worked with the Opportunities Industrialization Center, Oklahoma City, and OIC International, her service culminating in stints as an education research specialist in Philadelphia and a training adviser in Lagos, Nigeria. dep@ou.edu Call: 405-325-2151 What is the reasoning? tgcp: I think it’s such a interesting period of history to look at now. The young men’s conference was renamed the George McLaurin Male Leadership Conference after the first African American student admitted to OU, and the young women’s conference was named Sylvia A. Lewis Women’s Leadership Conference after the first African American female to serve on the OU Board of Regents.

lipplog: How someone could not become bitter from this is beyond me. The McLaurin and Lewis Leadership Weekend is a University of Oklahoma college preview program for African American students, hosted by Diversity Enrichment Programs.

The McLaurin and Lewis Leadership Conference helped me in my decision to attend OU because it showed me that there are other people on campus that look like me and share the same experiences as me. Why? Let him sit with the others and he'll think he's one of them, an equal. Torsomu: Norman Oklahoma was also a sundown town. Being banned from higher education was a reality for the parents and grandparents of many young black people alive today. ». George Mclaurin, the first black man admitted into the University of Oklahoma, in 1948, studied History, and was forced to sit away from his white classmates. This is the touching story of George McLaurin, the first black man admitted to the University of Oklahoma (OU), and forced to sit in a corner far from his white classmates. kurisu7885: Looks like he was also positioned to make his education as much of a pain as possible. A graduate of Langston University with a master's degree in education from OU, Lewis was a public school teacher in Ponca City from 1943 to 1953 before joining the Oklahoma City school system. That seems to be the sticking point for segregation at the time (and even for some people today), obviously the scary black man is going to black them and make them black. how badass were his grades for an Oklahoma school to admit him at all in his '60s?

We look to continue the positive impact that the George McLaurin/Sylvia A. Lewis conference has garnered in the community. kurisu7885: Looks like he was also positioned to make his education as much of a pain as possible. In the two years since this change, the conference has expanded in size and in scope, including sponsorships from companies such as OneOK, Williams Companies, and Devon Energy. But up to date his name remains on the honour roll as one of the three best students of the university. McLaurin held a master’s degree in education from the University of Kansas and had taught for 33 years at Langston University before retiring in 1948. So that was the one he drank from. George McLaurin ultimately left the university after only two semesters.

The decision began the process of tearing down official barriers to racial integration in Oklahoma higher education. Her previous awards and honors include the Meritorious Award for Community Service from the Young Women's Christian Association and the Award of Honor from the Indian American Community of Oklahoma City, both in 1967; the Martin Luther King Humanitarian Award, Oklahoma Alliance, in 1981; and Langston's Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1987. vanvark: Ok that’s awful and everything else, but desk wise, he got a damn good deal. Registration opens December 2020, space is limited. While being there, not only did I make a family within the community that I can fall back on, but I also received a scholarship that helped me in some of my expenses.

Lewis, Vice Chairwoman for the Oklahoma State Conference of Women in 1977-78 and delegate-at-large for the 1979 International Women's Year conference in Houston, was listed in Who's Who Among Black Americans and Who's Who Among American Women. This was *70 years* ago. By the time of his application to the University of Oklahoma, McLaurin’s three children had each earned a master’s degree. When you’re raised in that environment—and your elders lack the knowledge and resources to help you succeed—you’re very likely to fall into the same cycle of poverty and misfortune that trapped them. kovyvok: Me at every social event I’ve ever been to. Many of our grandparents experienced this, either as a white person with the understanding that whites and blacks **should** be separated, or as a black person who was told over and over “you are not the same as us”. 1948.” « Claude Monet, French artist and a leading member of the Impressionist group of painters was born in Paris #OnThisDay 1840, A Sikh family shelter in an alcove of the crypt during an air raid, Christ Church, Spitalfields, London – November 1940. Before retirement, he taught at a predominantly black college, Langston University. Now it’s all shorts, t-shirt and flip flops. ThouHathNoPowerHere: Off topic but holy shit people dressed classy for college back then. epsilonkn0t: This picture breaks my heart. The site may not work properly if you don't, If you do not update your browser, we suggest you visit, Press J to jump to the feed. I completely agree and can’t believe this was only 70 years ago. I heard the stories. Baboobalou: It still makes my blood run cold when I see sick like this.

My grandad took this picture when he worked for the Oklahoman! She raised a huge stink about it and I think she even tried to get a cop over the whole thing. Focusing on college readiness, leadership training and being culturally connected to the African American community at the University of Oklahoma. I can’t imagine any university classroom looking like that now. turorinator: This brings tears to my eyes. That guy had some serious balls. He was forced to sit in a corner far from his white classmates.

He had a masters and was a retired professor but he wanted to intergrate the school. daedal_doofus: Aside from the obvious, it’s … Even during the 70s & 80s in my city, people would call in to a local talk radio show to complain about Blacks ‘taking over’ their parks, neighborhoods, and jobs. She established a long record of achievements as an educator, administrator, and civic leader. The only equality in the separate but equal policy was in its name. I don’t really have proof but here’s his obituary, my dad will get a kick out of this. He thought that was the better water fountain. Marinapplaud: So so sad…only if most people were smart enough to know we all have African blood in us…why be so hateful? i_like_yoghurt: This is why I laugh at rugged individualists when they say affirmative action is unfair/unnecessary because “we’re all equal now”. daedal_doofus: Aside from the obvious, it’s crazy the difference in posture back then. Zaenithon: As a white person, it’s so impossible to imagine being someone sitting in that room apart from him and feeling completely comfortable. TheSkeletonInsideMe: Dang.