Formerly segregated school for Mexican-American children in Texas becomes national park

The Biden administration on Wednesday formally established a formerly segregated school for Mexican-American students in Marfa as the country's newest national park, making it the third National Historic Site to document the experiences of Latino Americans during the pre-civil rights era.

Open from 1909 to 1965, the Blackwell School is one of the last remaining “Mexican schools" in the U.S. Teachers used to forbid first- through eighth-grade students of Mexican descent from speaking their native language, punishing them with a wooden paddle if they slipped up, the El Paso Times reported. At one point, in 1954, first-graders were instructed to "bury Mr. Spanish" in a mock funeral.

The school, which operated under the doctrine of "separate but equal" education, exemplifies the racism and cultural disparities that dominated the United States during the period of "de facto segregation" from 1889-1965, according to the National Parks Service.

The 1909 adobe schoolhouse and 1927 classroom building have been designated a national historic site since 2022, when President Joe Biden signed the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act in 2022. The bipartisan legislation was authored by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and supported by U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-San Antonio, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif.

“For decades, young Texans of Latino descent were forced to receive a segregated education from their white peers at the Blackwell School in Marfa, Texas, which still stands today as a symbol of how far our nation has come,” Sen. Cornyn said in a news release Wednesday. “I am proud to see the Blackwell School finally established as a National Park after years of hard work with my Congressional colleagues, which will allow all Americans to learn from our past and honor the progress we have made as a nation.”

The recognition is the fruit of years of effort from former Blackwell students, who formed a coalition to save the school from planned sale or demolition in 2006, the El Paso Times reported. The Blackwell School Alliance then oversaw the site's restoration.

Members of the alliance had lobbied Congress and local officials for years to recognize the site, according to USA TODAY.

"We’re deeply grateful for all who have contributed their time and talents to this grassroots effort over the last two decades — especially our alumni, whose experiences will forever serve as the foundation for telling this story," Blackwell School Alliance President Daniel Hernandez said in a statement to the American-Statesman. "We’re eager to continue working with the National Park Service and other partners to support the site’s development and interpretation in service of advancing a more complete account of American history.”

The Alliance and the National Park Service will work together to provide visitor services. The Blackwell School Alliance, National Parks Conservation Association, National Park Foundation, Marfa school district and the city of Marfa have all contributed to the site's historic designation, the National Parks Service said in a news release.

The two other national parks that commemorate Latino American experiences before the civil rights era are the Cesar Chavez National Monument in California and the Chamizal National Memorial in El Paso.

"A complete history of America must include everyone’s story,” National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said in a news release Wednesday. "The designation of the Blackwell School National Historic Site is an important step in telling a more diverse and inclusive history of the Mexican American experience in our country."

The Blackwell School is the seventh national park unit designated under the Biden administration, with others including the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument in Illinois and Mississippi and the Brown v. Board of Education National Historical Park in Kansas.