Gaines v. Canada was a landmark U.S. Supreme Court case in 1938 that highlighted the issue of racial discrimination in higher education. Lloyd Gaines, an African American man, applied to the University of Missouri School of Law, the state's only public law school at the time, but was denied admission solely on the basis of his race.

Gaines challenged the university's decision, arguing that the separate black law school in Missouri did not provide him with the same educational opportunities as the white law school. The case ultimately reached the Supreme Court, which ruled in favor of Gaines and held that Missouri must provide him with an equal education opportunity, either by admitting him to the University of Missouri's law school or by establishing a separate equal law school for black students.

The decision in Gaines v. Canada was a significant step towards ending racial segregation in higher education and paved the way for future legal challenges to discriminatory practices. While the case did not lead to immediate desegregation of the University of Missouri, it set an important precedent in the fight for equal educational opportunities for African Americans.