At a young age, she was exposed to segregated education, as Missouri was a Jim Crow state that adhered to "separate but equal" doctrine.
Bluford made weekly newspapers which addressed the unfair treatment of African Americans and the paper fought for racial justice.
Chester A. Franklin, founder of the Call, contacted Bluford and told her he had an opening for her at his newspaper.
[10] She stayed at the Call for the entirety of her career, rising through the ranks until she was the second editor and publisher of the newspaper.
What sparked Bluford's interest in suing the University of Missouri is the lawsuit of Lloyd L. Gaines.
[13] Due in part to her association with the NAACP, Bluford was denied admission to the University of Missouri's graduate journalism program.
Citing low attendance because of World War II, the University of Missouri subsequently closed its graduate journalism program.