Most people who have attended the University of Missouri are familiar with the Gaines Oldham Black Culture Center or have heard of Lloyd Gaines, the first African-American to apply to the MU law school, which denied his application.
Until now, however, few have been aware of the legal battles Gaines and the NAACP waged to guarantee equal rights decades before the civil rights movement gained steam.
Earlier this year MU political science professors Bill Horner and James Endersby received the 2017 Book Award from the Missouri Conference on History for their book, Lloyd Gaines and the Fight to End Segregation.
Published by the University of Missouri Press, the book is the first to focus entirely on the Gaines case (Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada) and the vital role played by the NAACP and its lawyers. The authors position the Gaines case as the first in a long line of decisions by the U.S. Supreme Court regarding race, higher education and equal opportunity.
In addition to being an author, Horner is the director of undergraduate studies in the Department of Political Science. In his capacity as a teaching professor, he teaches three self-paced online courses:
POL_SC 1100 American Government covers the Constitution, civil liberties and voting behavior, among other topics. POL_SC 1100 fulfills the state law constitution requirement at MU.
POL_SC 4120 Politics and the Media looks at the role of mass media in the political process, primarily the politics of media control, political news and advertising, and the effects of information on election campaigns, political institutions and policymaking. POL_SC 4120W is writing intensive.
POL_SC 4150 The American Presidency examines the evolution of the presidency, with particular emphasis on constitutional and political roles played by chief executives in shaping public policy.
You can enroll in these and other self-paced courses for the summer (until July 10) or fall semester either as an undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student.