The MAC Scholars Summer Academy combines rigorous math, science and literature courses with cultural studies. The goal is to give teens an academic head start and to help them overcome any social barriers that can hinder minority students’ chances of succeeding. The summer program for incoming sophomores is a joint effort between Columbia Public Schools and the University of Missouri.

"They’re getting a better understanding of the rigor of honors and Advanced Placement courses, and those are gateway courses to higher education," said Jeffrey Williams, an MU English professor who helps facilitate the academy.

The summer program places a heavy emphasis on black history, delving deeper into aspects of the culture often overlooked in traditional school settings.

"In school, we focus so much on the obvious part of black history and slavery," said Michael Tatum, who will attend Hickman High School this fall. "Here, we’re learning about the Harlem renaissance, the civil rights movement. Here, we’re attacking those issues we don’t always know so much about and delving deeper into black historical figures, not just Martin Luther King Jr."

Learning what blacks overcame in the past to do great things makes Michael even more determined. "If they can succeed in that time, we should succeed and do better," he said.

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