McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is a landmark Supreme Court case from 1938 that addresses racial segregation in higher education. The case involved George McLaurin, an African American teacher who faced discriminatory practices after being admitted to the University of Oklahoma's graduate program. Despite his acceptance, state regulations mandated that he be isolated from other students, requiring him to use designated seating in classrooms and libraries. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that these segregation policies violated the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, stating that once a student is admitted, they should not receive different treatment based on race. This ruling emphasized that such isolation undermined the educational experience. The McLaurin decision was pivotal in challenging the "separate but equal" doctrine and laid the groundwork for future civil rights cases, notably Brown v. Board of Education in 1954. Overall, this case highlights the ongoing struggle for equality and justice in education for African Americans.
McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Date: June 5, 1950
Citation: 339 U.S. 637
Issue: Separate but equal doctrine
Significance: The Supreme Court overruled a state policy of admitting African Americans to a public university’s graduate program on a segregated basis.
In 1938 the Supreme Court held that states must provide equal opportunities for education in legal matters within the borders of the state. George McLaurin, a black teacher who was sixty-eight years old, was admitted to the University of Oklahoma’s graduate program because no other program within the state offered a Ph.D. in education. The Oklahoma legislature passed a statute requiring segregation within all graduate programs that admitted African American students. McLaurin was required to sit at designated desks in classrooms and in the library. By a 9-0 vote, the Court found that such a policy of isolation detracted from McLaurin’s educational experience, in violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that after admitting a student to a state university, the state may not afford the student different treatment solely because of the person’s race.
The McLaurin case was argued and decided simultaneously with a companion case, Sweatt v. Painter(1950). In Sweatt, the Court ruled that a law school for African Americans in Texas was unconstitutional because it did not offer educational opportunities that were substantially equal to those offered to whites. The McLaurin and Sweatt decisions helped prepare the way for Brown v. Board of Education (1954).