Jessi Silva holds onto a vivid memory from a fall morning in 1954.

At the age of 6, she was just beginning first grade. The Mexican American students at Blackwell School were led to the flagpole, stirring up dust on the school’s dry grounds in Marfa, Texas.

Before this, teachers had handed out papers, instructing them to write down the letters from the blackboard: S-P-A-N-I-S-H. These papers were later collected in a cigar box and buried in a little grave. They were told it was the burial of “Mr. Spanish.”

“They didn’t explain it,” Silva, now 76, recalled. “All I remember is them saying, ‘From now on, you cannot speak Spanish in school.’”

Until it was closed due to mandatory integration in 1965, Blackwell served as one of many schools in the Southwest designated for Mexican American students, keeping them separate from their white classmates during a time of informal segregation. Over its 56 years, about 4,000 students attended Blackwell.

The still-standing school in Presidio County, Texas, has recently been designated as a national park site, the second in the U.S. that acknowledges contemporary Latino history. While national parks often evoke images of vast natural landscapes, the National Park Service is increasingly focusing on historical sites that share forgotten narratives of American diversity; many hope that Blackwell’s recognition will lead to greater acknowledgment of Latino contributions in the country.

“Every aspect of America’s history deserves to include everyone’s narrative,” stated park service director Chuck Sams in an announcement from the U.S. Department of the Interior. “The recognition of Blackwell School National Historic Site is a vital move toward sharing a more diverse and inclusive account of the Mexican American journey in our nation.”

The story of Blackwell, as noted in the statement, is a reflection of how prejudice, rather than law, shaped educational and social systems in the U.S. for many years. For those of Mexican descent, this discrimination continued despite their legal designation as white under the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, which ended the Mexican-American War in 1848.

“No formal law mandated their segregation, but the rise of ‘Mexican schools’ emerged to keep them apart from Anglo students,” explained Cristobal Lopez, a historian and Texas field representative for the National Parks Conservation Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization that supported Blackwell’s quest for national park status.

Although Silva has mixed feelings about her past, she is among many former students whose passion and vision were crucial in preserving Blackwell. Erected in 1909, this three-room adobe schoolhouse is one of the few remaining “Mexican schools” intact in its original state.

“It’s quite rare to find a structure from that time preserved without alterations or demolition,” noted Kyle Groetzinger, associate communications director for the conservation association.

The campaign to protect Blackwell galvanized a community that has transitioned from a dusty desert town to a vibrant arts hub with a population of 1,725.

‘National Parks Must Represent All Americans’

The national parks, visited by over 325 million people in 2023, have a distinct role in American life: Beyond natural beauty, they illuminate significant chapters of U.S. history—locations where injustices occurred, movements were sparked, heroes emerged, and lessons are left for future generations. They often validate one’s place within America’s diverse tapestry.

In recent years, numerous national park sites have been established to honor America’s varied history. Examples include the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, New York, and the Stonewall National Monument in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, which commemorates the 1969 riots that ignited the LGBT movement. The Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument in Alabama also stands to honor the 1963 civil rights demonstrations, including the tragic bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church that claimed the lives of four young Black girls orchestrated by white supremacists.

Camp Nelson National Monument in Jessamine County, Kentucky, showcases a former Union Army camp, which became a recruiting center for Black soldiers who were formerly enslaved and could achieve freedom by enlisting. In Prowers County, Colorado, the Amache National Historic Site preserves the former internment camp where Japanese Americans were forcibly relocated during World War II.

Last year, President Joe Biden designated the Emmett Till and Mamie Till-Mobley National Monument, which encompasses various sites in Chicago and Mississippi, to honor the memory of the 14-year-old Black youth whose kidnapping and lynching in 1955 ignited the modern civil rights movement.

These sites have gained national park status not solely due to their geographical location but because of the significant events that occurred there.

“National parks should depict all American experiences, especially those that we may not take pride in,” said Groetzinger. He noted that the National Park Service is making noteworthy progress in broadening the narratives presented at these locations.

He added that the current divisions within society make these initiatives even more crucial.

“We are at a pivotal moment in our nation, and this offers an opportunity for real conversation about discrimination,” Groetzinger stated. “Creating sites like Till and Blackwell doesn’t resolve systemic discrimination, but it fosters a chance to better understand our communities and work towards a better future together.”

Exploring 1950s Marfa, Texas

The newest national park in Texas unveils a chapter of American history that is both troubling and enlightening.

“George Stevens, A Life on Film,” by Marilyn Ann Moss, includes a portrayal of Marfa in the mid-1950s. The biography discusses the making of the 1956 film “Giant,” which featured stars like Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson, and James Dean and was partially shot in this town.

Moss recounts that the film crew arrived in June 1955 and quickly complained about the oppressive heat and lack of comforts. The autobiography of actress Mercedes McCambridge described Marfa as “the most unappealing landscape imaginable. Just dirt and bugs, with no trees or any life.”

Marfa was established in 1881 as a freight stop along the Southern Pacific railroad, which effectively split the town’s white and Mexican communities. Although some local children found ways to connect, graduates from Blackwell remember feeling excluded from the north side, where Marfa’s better shops and the all-white elementary school were located, passing down used materials to Blackwell students.

Silva reminisces about segregated cinemas, separate Catholic communities, and stores that posted signs banning Mexicans. The funeral of “Mr. Spanish” left her with a deep sense of sadness, along with painful memories of classmates being disciplined with paddles for speaking their native language or for minor infractions.

“We could hear paddles striking students in the principal’s office from our classrooms,” she recalled. “There were incidents when a boy was paddled in front of the entire class. We all cried for him. They punished us for trivial things — even for just dropping a pencil. It made us feel like zombies.”

Silva recognizes that her former classmates have differing feelings, with some unable to confront the painful past. However, for her and others who fought to preserve the school, the national acknowledgment of their experiences is a validation of their struggles.

“They appreciate that their story is going to be told nationally,” Lopez stated. “While they cannot ignore that they were part of a segregated system, they want everyone to know they overcame those challenges.”

Alumni unite in preservation efforts

The initiative to save Blackwell was initiated in 2006 by a group of alumni who were organizing a school reunion. At that time, only the original three-room adobe schoolhouse and a band hall remained of the once extensive five-acre, six-building complex.

When they learned that the district intended to sell the buildings, they engaged with district leaders and secured a 99-year lease for just $1 annually to ensure the preservation of the site.

The newly formed Blackwell School Alliance has transformed the site into a community center and museum, gathering oral histories and numerous artifacts contributed by Marfa residents and former students. Recently, the alliance succeeded in getting Blackwell recognized by the Texas Historical Commission and subsequently included in the National Register of Historic Places.

These achievements were deemed as “significant milestones” towards achieving national park status, according to Daniel Hernandez, a Dallas communications executive and native of Marfa who leads the alliance. “Our alumni have been our greatest supporters in this journey. It truly reflects the strength of grassroots movements.”

Among the alliance’s members is long-time resident Mario Rivera, who attended the school from 1950 to 1957. He fondly recalls playing in the school’s playground, which was primarily a dirt area equipped with a slide, swings, and a merry-go-round, along with basketball and volleyball courts.

“Then I’d return home to find my mom ready with dinner,” Rivera reminisced. He served as Presidio County treasurer for 32 years. “Those were truly wonderful years.”

Rivera’s world revolved around his Marfa neighborhood, a small town where children on bikes knew to head home when the streetlights turned on. His family couldn’t afford to shop in the more upscale areas north of the railway tracks, and the community accepted segregation as part of life.

He never perceived his Blackwell teachers as patronizing. He understands their reasons for discouraging students from speaking Spanish.

“They aimed for us to enhance our English proficiency,” he explained. “But once we were outside the school, it was puro Spanish.”

Rivera went on to obtain a business degree from Sul Ross State University in nearby Alpine. Due to limited job prospects in Marfa, many graduates chose to relocate, negatively impacting the city’s economy.

Things began to shift when Marfa re-emerged as a hub for artists. However, as a result, living costs have risen dramatically, turning Marfa into a fashionable spot for celebrities.

Yet, one aspect remains the same, Rivera noted.

“Most of the Mexicanos are still living south of the tracks,” he stated.

‘This was an untold story in American history’

Gretel Enck is a newcomer to the city, a novelist who fell in love with the desert beauty and the ever-evolving arts scene after visiting nearby Big Bend National Park.

<p“Marfa is a genuine borderland community,” Enck shared. “Our stands are full for Friday night football games when we play six-man football. Everything you associate with small-town Texas is vividly present here.”

Enck relocated to Marfa in 2015, coinciding with PBS’s release of the documentary “Children of Giant,” which highlighted Marfa’s significance in the making of the film “Giant.” The overwhelming audience turnout for the screening motivated Enck to engage more with Blackwell, leading her to take responsibility for the museum’s Saturday visitor hours.

Within a year, Enck was approached by the outgoing president of the alliance, who invited her to lead the group. While they had successfully funded vital renovations of the building, the next steps for the organization were uncertain. She began exploring the possibility of Blackwell qualifying as a national park site.

“I didn’t have prior knowledge about windows or adobe bricks, but I sensed this place held significant value on a national scale,” Enck recounted. “We typically associate school segregation with African American children, but it became clear that this untold narrative was an important part of American history. We had both a chance and a responsibility to ensure its preservation.”

In 2018, Enck happened to meet then-U.S. Rep. Will Hurd at a local café, seizing the opportunity to share her insights.

The group’s goals were supported by Hurd, who linked her with a conservation group that collaborated with the alliance to push for bipartisan legislation that would recognize Blackwell as a national park.

In October 2022, President Biden enacted The Blackwell School National Historic Act.

“I’m someone who has grand visions and aspirations, and they don’t always pan out,” shared Enck, who resigned from her role as alliance president last year. “However, when you are on the right track, opportunities start to arise, and I truly felt that way about Blackwell School.”

Awareness of Injustice Emerges for One Student

Silva was the youngest among her four siblings who all attended Blackwell School. Their parents also went there, but both left before finishing seventh grade to support their struggling families.

When Silva entered third grade, her family relocated to Northern California for her father’s new full-time job. This was the first time she was in classrooms with children of different races, and it sparked her curiosity about the disparities she had experienced in Texas.

A few years later, Silva’s family returned to Marfa. In eighth grade, she recalls a moment when several students questioned their white teacher just before lunch about why her own children did not attend Blackwell.

“She told us, ‘Because they live closer to the other school,’” Silva reminisced. “We responded, ‘They could attend Blackwell with you.’ Then, when we returned from lunch, the principal was waiting with a paddle and told us he didn’t want to hear that kind of conversation again.”

Silva mentioned that her lingering resentment drove her to be more assertive, advocate for her workplace union, and ultimately assist in preserving Blackwell as a representation of a broader issue that she has come to comprehend.

Enck, the former alliance president, acknowledged that while some may argue Blackwell was right to ensure students learned English, children could have acquired enough language skills within a couple of years rather than being denied access to the school across the tracks.

She hears alumni express gratitude for the education they received, and through their collective experiences, she recognizes that many found solace from the biases they and their families faced in the larger community. She remarked that for them, Marfa was a sanctuary where “they didn’t have to encounter the daily sting of prejudice.”

“There were many things wrong about Blackwell School, yet there’s a remarkable resilience,” Enck noted. “Many enjoyed a solid education and cherished memories from their time there, despite feeling constrained by the system.”

‘An Undeniable Part of History’

Blackwell now stands alongside California’s Cesar E. Chavez National Monument as one of the two national park sites commemorating modern Latino American history, especially as many individuals directly involved are still living.

This official recognition could also serve as an economic boost for the area; 20 miles north, the Fort Davis National Historic Site attracts nearly 40,000 visitors each year. Lopez, the representative from the conservation association, hopes the city will enhance access to the Blackwell site by improving sidewalks and bike lanes in the vicinity.

Rivera, a former student and county treasurer, remarked that the designation is significant “because it’s an integral part of our history, whether anyone likes it or not. It is part of Texas and United States history. There are remarkable moments in history, but also those we would rather not recall. Marfa is among the latter. Perhaps Blackwell can serve as a reminder of a misguided concept.”

For Silva, it was only when the legislation passed that she could finally release her resentment.

“Enough is enough,” she stated. “This is a significant milestone for Marfa. It’s a monumental achievement for the Hispanic community. We are recognized.”