Ada Louis Sipuel Fisher came from an outspoken family. Her dad was a minister; her brother was one of the first to challenge the racist policies of Oklahoma University’s law school admissions — though ultimately he decided to join another school rather than spend years fighting the university. Fisher decided she would spend the time, and when she was denied admission to law school on basis of race, she filed a suit.

On this day, January 12th, in 1948, Fisher’s case was decided by the Supreme Court. In their ruling, they said the state must provide for Fisher an education “in conformity with the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and provide it as soon as it does for applicants of any other group.”

Fisher was granted admission to the school, but she was not treated equally. She was place in a marked chair in the corner of the room, roped up from the rest of the classroom. Fisher’s classmates, however, were more polite and willingly helped her in her assignments.