Chispa and LCV Celebrate the Establishment of the Blackwell School National Historic Site

For Immediate Release

July 18, 2024

Contact: Jessie Cohen, jcohen@lcv.org

Elena Gaona, egaona@lcv.org

LCV Celebrates the Establishment of the Blackwell School National Historic Site

Washington D.C.- In response to the Department of the Interior announcing the establishment of the Blackwell School National Historic Site in West Texas as the nation’s newest national park, the League of Conservation Voters (LCV) and Chispa released the following statements:

“LCV applauds President Biden and Secretary Haaland for establishing the Blackwell School Historic Site to honor the hardships that Latine students face, both historically and today, and highlight their resilience in the face of segregation and discrimination,” said LCV Conservation Program Director America Fitzpatrick. “This designation builds on the President’s already impressive and historic conservation and climate legacy, which includes the protection of more than 41 million acres of public lands since taking office. We urge the Biden-Harris administration to continue to champion the protection of our nation’s public lands and cultural sites, including by designating the proposed 1908 Springfield Race Riots site, Chuckwalla in the California desert, and many others worthy of permanent protection as national monuments.”

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“The newest national park designated at the Blackwell School National Historic Site represents our nation telling and preserving a little known part of Mexican-American history that is truly American history,” said Chispa Senior Director Estefany Carrasco-González. “This historic three-room schoolhouse in West Texas is a reminder of the complex history of an education system in the Southwest that segregated Mexican-American students from their White peers from the late 1800s through the 1960s. Today Marfa is a popular place to visit, and visitors will be able to take in the landscape, and a piece of our history, preserved. We are heartened that our national park system is honoring the hardships Mexican-American  students overcame and highlights their resilience in the face of discrimination, providing an opportunity for the nation to learn from their stories.”

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