[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 207 (Wednesday, December 1, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6740-H6741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BLACKWELL SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ACT
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (H.R. 4706) to establish the Blackwell School National
Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 4706
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Blackwell School National
Historic Site Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) National historic site.--The term ``national historic
site'' means the Blackwell School, in Marfa, Texas.
(2) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of the Interior.
SEC. 3. FINDINGS.
Congress finds as follows:
(1) The Blackwell School, located at 501 South Abbott
Street, in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is associated with
the period of racial segregation in Marfa public schools and
is the sole extant property directly associated with Hispanic
education in the community, the remaining buildings having
been torn down after the school closed in 1965.
(2) The Blackwell School is a tangible reminder of a time
when the practice of ``separate but equal'' dominated
education and social systems. Despite being categorized as
``white'' by Texas law, Mexican Americans were regularly
excluded from commingling with Anglos at barbershops,
restaurants, funeral homes, theaters, churches, and schools.
(3) The spectrum of experiences of students and teachers at
the Blackwell School constitute an important record of life
in a segregated school in the context of the history of Texas
and America.
(4) Mexican and Mexican American culture and history in
Marfa is tied to the Blackwell School, which for more than 50
years served as a leading feature of the Hispanic community,
illustrating the challenge of maintaining cultural identity
in a dominant Anglo society. Yet today, Hispanic influences
are seen in Marfa's social and religious organizations,
business and government institutions, and shared experiences
of language, food, and music.
(5) The historic Blackwell School building is a physical
record of the longevity and beauty of the distinctive design
and craftsmanship informed by both traditional techniques and
materials, and the transition from purely the vernacular to
the period of materials, design, and workmanship made
available after the arrival of the railroad. The original
historic school building and grounds on which it stands
provide an authentic setting to commemorate and interpret the
history of the Blackwell School.
(6) The Blackwell School is closely associated with the
broad patterns of local, State, and national history in the
area of school segregation. Mexicans and other members of the
Latin American diaspora have placed a high value upon
education as a means of economic, social, and political
advancement.
(7) Mexican Americans and other members of the Latin
American diaspora have placed a high value upon education as
a means of economic, social, and political advancement.
However, Hispanics and Latinos have not always had equitable
opportunities and access to quality educational facilities in
the United States.
SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACKWELL SCHOOL NATIONAL
HISTORIC SITE.
(a) Establishment.--
(1) In general.--Subject to paragraph (2), there is
established the Blackwell School National Historic Site in
the State of Texas as a unit of the National Park System to
preserve, protect and interpret for the benefit of present
and future generations the Blackwell School, its role as both
an academic and cultural cornerstone in the community in
Marfa, Texas, and its function within a segregated system of
education in Texas and the United States from 1885 through
1965.
(2) Conditions.--The national historic site shall not be
established until the date on which the Secretary has--
(A) entered into a written agreement with the Marfa Unified
School District providing that the Blackwell School shall be
donated to or placed by agreement into co-management with the
United States for inclusion in a national historic site to be
managed consistently with the purposes of a national historic
site; and
(B) acquired sufficient land or interests in land within
the boundaries of the national historic site to constitute a
manageable unit.
(b) Boundaries.--The boundaries of the national historic
site shall be the boundaries generally depicted on the map.
(c) Availability of Map.--The map shall be on file and
available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of
the National Park Service.
(d) Acquisition of Authority.--The Secretary may only
acquire any land or interest in land located within the
boundary of the national historic site by--
(1) donation;
(2) purchase with donated funds; or
(3) exchange.
(e) Administration.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary shall administer this
national historic site in accordance with--
(A) this Act; and
(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the National
Park System.
(2) Management plan.--
(A) Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds
are first made available to the Secretary for this purpose,
the Secretary shall prepare a general management plan for the
national historic site in accordance with section 100502 of
title 54, United States Code.
(B) Upon completion, the Secretary shall submit the general
management plan prepared pursuant to subparagraph (A) to the
Committee on Natural Resources of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural
Resources of the Senate.
(f) Cooperative Agreements.--The Secretary shall enter into
cooperative agreements with the Blackwell School Alliance
(and other local, regional, State, academic and nonprofit
partners) for interpretive and educational programming,
technical assistance, and rehabilitation related to the
national historic site.
(g) Written Consent of Owner.--No private property or non-
Federal public property shall be included within the
boundaries of the national historic site or managed as part
of the national historic site without the written consent of
the owner of such property.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez) and the gentleman from Arkansas (Mr.
Westerman) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from New Mexico.
General Leave
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on the measure under
consideration.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from New Mexico?
There was no objection.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4706, the Blackwell School
National Historic Site Act, introduced by my colleague, Representative
Tony Gonzales of Texas.
This bill would direct the Secretary of the Interior to establish the
Blackwell School National Historic Site to preserve, protect, and
interpret the role of the Blackwell School as an academic and cultural
cornerstone in Marfa, Texas.
The Blackwell School was the sole public education institution for
Mexican-American children in Marfa from 1909 until 1965, when Marfa
schools were integrated.
The building is a tangible reminder of a time in American history
when separate but equal remained so prevalent in our culture. It is a
powerful reminder of the work that still remains before us today.
Approximately 4,000 students attended the Blackwell School over the
course of more than 50 years. Despite the inherent unfairness of
segregation, the Blackwell School became a meeting place and source of
pride for the local Hispanic community.
Today, all that remains of the once sprawling campus is a three-room
adobe schoolhouse--one of the last such schools remaining in Texas.
Designating the Blackwell School as a national historic site ensures
that the story of this school is maintained so that future Americans
can learn from and understand its rich and complex history.
Madam Speaker, I attended a school that was likewise, in its history,
segregated. Hispanos attended school on one side of the town and all
others on the other side.
I congratulate Representative Gonzales for championing this bill to
bring awareness that this is simply part of our history and we must
recognize it and understand it.
Madam Speaker, I urge everyone to support this bill today, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4706, offered by
Representative
[[Page H6741]]
Tony Gonzales of Texas, to establish the Blackwell School National
Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, as a unit of the National Park system.
Segregation education began in Marfa in 1892 following the completion
of a new school for the city's White students. The Blackwell School
served as the sole public education institution for the city of Marfa,
Texas', Mexican and Mexican-American children from 1909 to 1965.
Known originally as the Ward or Mexican School, the Blackwell School
was later renamed for its longtime principal, Jesse Blackwell, who
arrived in 1922. During Blackwell's 25-year tenure, the school grew
from one building and 120 students to a multi-building campus and more
than 600 students.
The original historic school building and grounds provide an
authentic setting to commemorate and interpret the history of the
Blackwell School. Designation as a national historic site is locally
supported and the designation helps meet needs identified in the
National Park Services' American Latino Theme Study completed in 2013.
Madam Speaker, I highly commend my colleague from Texas (Mr. Tony
Gonzales) for his work on commemorating this important landmark. I urge
adoption of the measure, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Tony Gonzales), the author of this bill.
Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of
my bill, H.R. 4706, the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act.
The Blackwell School is located in the heart of my district, Marfa,
Texas. This week we are voting on legislation that makes this landmark
a national historic site under the National Park Service.
{time} 1345
When it comes to recognizing lands as national historic sites or
national parks, it is paramount to look outside traditional parameters.
We must identify and preserve our history from all walks of life and
share stories of forgotten Americans, including the history of Mexican
Americans and their struggle for equality.
The Blackwell School operated from 1909 to 1965 as a segregated
school for children of Mexican descent. While segregation was mandated
by law for African Americans, it was optional for school districts to
segregate Mexican students. Marfa chose to segregate. Children who
attended the Blackwell School were banned from speaking Spanish and
even had to bury slips of paper with Spanish words in a mock funeral
ceremony.
The school operated during a time of American history when separate
but equal dominated our culture. Segregation is an ugly stain on
America's legacy, and while we have progressed as a country, we must
acknowledge the painful role segregation played in our Nation's
history.
Establishing the Blackwell School as a national historic site ensures
that the building is maintained properly so generations to come can
understand its rich but complicated history. The impact of establishing
this landmark as a national historic site goes beyond cultural
influence as well. My district is home to eight of Texas' 16 national
parks such as Big Bend National Park. As I traveled through my
district, I have seen the positive economic and societal impacts our
national parks have on our communities. Establishing the Blackwell
School as a national landmark would bring increased tourism and
increased economic activity to Presidio County and Marfa.
Madam Speaker, I would like to thank my friend, Fil Vela, for
cosponsoring this bill; Natural Resources Chairman Raul Grijalva; and,
of course, Ranking Member Bruce Westerman for prioritizing this
legislation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I yield the gentleman an additional 1
minute.
Mr. TONY GONZALES of Texas. Madam Speaker, most importantly, I would
like to thank the Blackwell School Alliance and the National Parks
Conservation Association for their commitment to giving this landmark
the recognition it deserves. The Blackwell School has been an important
piece of history for west Texas and many Mexican Americans across the
country, and we are ready to share it with the world.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I am ready to close, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. WESTERMAN. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers. I want to
encourage adoption of this bill and, again, I thank the gentleman from
Texas for his hard work in bringing this bill forward. I hope we can
all get behind it. I urge adoption, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Ms. LEGER FERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I too want to recognize and
acknowledge the importance of this bill and Representative Gonzales's
bringing it to our attention because we must remember that all
stories--all stories--whether they be good or bad, whether they concern
segregation or celebration, are American stories, and this bill assists
us in looking at the complexity of the American story.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I
yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise in proud support of H.R. 4706,
``The Blackwell School National Historic Site Act.''
I would like to thank Congressman Tony Gonzales for introducing this
bill.
This bill would establish Blackwell School National Historic Site as
a unit of the National Park System when the Secretary of the Interior
enters into a written agreement with the Marfa Unified School District
for donation or co-management of the site and acquires sufficient lands
within the boundaries of the national historic site to constitute a
manageable unit.
The NPS would be required to develop a management plan for the site
no later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made
available for this purpose.
The bill also directs the Secretary of the Interior to enter into
cooperative agreements with the Blackwell School Alliance (and other
partners) for interpretive and educational programming, technical
assistance, and rehabilitation for the site.
The Blackwell School operated in Marfa, Texas, as a segregated school
for children of Mexican descent from 1909 until Marfa schools were
integrated in 1965.
Yet this is much more than just a local story.
The original historic school building, and grounds on which it
stands, provide an authentic setting to commemorate and interpret a
time when ``separate but equal'' dominated our culture in ways
currently unknown, and essential to understanding the American
experience.
The Blackwell School Alliance has been working 15 years to preserve
the stories, legacy, and buildings associated with the Blackwell
School.
We have partnered with many universities, state agencies, private
foundations, individuals, and the City of Marfa to document and promote
this important piece of Marfa history.
This park would not only have an emotional impact, but it would also
help preserve key history for the people of Marfa, Texas.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Leger Fernandez) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4706.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. PERRY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion
are postponed.
____________________