SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 423
         WHEREAS, The Blackwell School Alliance secured designation
  of the Blackwell School in Marfa as a National Historic Site in
  October 2022; and
 
         WHEREAS, Opened in 1909, in an era of de facto
  segregation of Mexican Americans, the school served local
  students until 1965, a year after passage of the Civil Rights
  Act, when Marfa integrated its schools; the faculty was
  largely White, and children could be punished harshly for
  speaking Spanish, even though for some, it was not only their
  native language, but their only language; the school was
  supplied with hand-me-down books and other equipment from
  Marfa Elementary, the school for Whites; and
 
         WHEREAS, Alumni of Blackwell School learned in 2006 that
  the school district planned to tear down or sell the nearly
  century-old one-room adobe schoolhouse; they began organizing to
  save the structure, forming the Blackwell School Alliance in
  2007; joined by other community advocates, they cleaned up the
  building and fundraised to make repairs; they went on to seek
  recognition for the school from the Texas Historical Commission,
  which was granted in 2010; nine years later, their efforts led to
  its inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places; and
 
         WHEREAS, The members of the alliance have worked
  tirelessly to document and preserve the school's history,
  partnering with universities, state agencies, private
  foundations, the City of Marfa, and individuals; in addition,
  they have garnered support from elected officials, and in 2021, a
  bipartisan group of representatives filed the Blackwell School
  National Historic Site Act; it easily passed both chambers of
  Congress, and President Joe Biden signed it into law on October
  17, 2022, authorizing the designation of the site as a unit of the
  National Park Service; and
 
         WHEREAS, Today, the Blackwell School is one of the very few
  National Historic Sites devoted specifically to the
  commemoration of Latino heritage; the original school building
  functions as a museum and community center, with a replica
  classroom featuring rows of old desks; moreover, the Blackwell
  School Alliance has assembled a wealth of artifacts, from
  trophies, sports uniforms, photographs, and old letters to the
  wooden paddle once used to discipline children; the site also
  includes the 1927 Band Hall; and
 
         WHEREAS, Through their hard work and many years of
  grassroots advocacy, the members of the Blackwell School
  Alliance have ensured lasting protection of an authentic setting
  to commemorate and interpret the Mexican American experience,
  the culture of the borderlands, and the sometimes painful history
  of progress in our society; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas, 88th
  Legislature, hereby recognize April 22, 2023, as Blackwell
  School Day at the State Capitol and commend the Blackwell School
  Alliance for its outstanding contributions.
 
  Blanco
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        President of the Senate
     
        I hereby certify that the
    above Resolution was adopted by
    the Senate on April 17, 2023.
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
        Secretary of the Senate
   
   
   
    ________________________________ 
         Member, Texas Senate