The oldest of four children, Maxine Horner was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1933. After graduating from Booker T. Washington High School in 1951, she received a scholarship to attend Wiley Texas in Marshall, Texas. Due to financial problems, Horner was only able to acquire an associate’s degree in business from Wiley College. Nonetheless, she had her mind set on eventually finishing the last two years of college. Thus, after becoming more financially stable, she enrolled in Langston University as a woman in her fifties to pursue her bachelor’s degree.
Horner’s interest in politics began when she worked for Congressman Jim Jones. Being a part of Congressman Jones’s staff allowed Horner to see the interaction between a politician and his constituents and how much effort the congressman put into resolving people’s concerns. Inspired by his work, Horner decided to run for office and was elected to the Oklahoma State Senate in 1987. Along with Judge Vicki
…show more content…
Horner states that she is a “strong proponent of education” because he parents greatly emphasized the importance of education. Her support of education is further stimulated by the fact that Oklahoma universities did not accept African American students during the early years of its statehood.
Horner also supported legislations concerning with economic development and human rights. She co-sponsored House Bill 1035, which created the Race Riot Commission to study the Tulsa Race Riot of 1921. Horner realized that it was necessary to commemorate the Race Riot, to educate people about the event, and to let the survivors tell their story. The study of the riot was significant to African Americans in Tulsa, and thus, the Commission was established to address the injustice that had taken