The University of Missouri School of Law did not graduate a Black attorney until the 1970s. As was practice at the time of Gaines’ lawsuit, the university offered to pay for Gaines to attend law school in a neighboring state — Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa or Illinois. At that time, no law school for Blacks existed in Missouri. Gaines refused and took his case to court. He lost twice, and appealed to the Supreme Court, which ruled 6-2 that the law school had to admit Gaines or provide a facility of equal stature for Blacks in Missouri.
Awarding Gaines an honorary degree is the university’s effort to belatedly acknowledge the errors of its ways. Although little can make up for Gaines’ lost opportunity, there is always the possibility that on graduation day, a now 96-year-old Gaines may just show up to accept that diploma.
- An extended version of this story appears in the May 4 issue of Diverse.
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