Blackwell School National Historic Site Act

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 8221 To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEPTEMBER 11, 2020 Mr. HURD of Texas (for himself and Mr. CUELLAR) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources A BILL To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blackwell School Na- 4 tional Historic Site Act’’. 5 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 6 In this Act: 7 (1) NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘na- 8 tional historic site’’ means the Blackwell School, in 9 Marfa, Texas. 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 8221 IH (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 1 the Secretary of the Interior. 2 SEC. 3. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds as follows: 4 (1) The Blackwell School, located at 501 South 5 Abbott Street, in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is 6 associated with the period of racial segregation in 7 Marfa public schools and is the sole extant property 8 directly associated with Hispanic education in the 9 community, the remaining buildings having been 10 torn down after the school closed in 1965. 11 (2) The Blackwell School is a tangible reminder 12 of a time when the practice of ‘‘separate but equal’’ 13 dominated education and social systems. Despite 14 being categorized as ‘‘white’’ by Texas law, Mexican 15 Americans were regularly excluded from commin- 16 gling with Anglos at barbershops, restaurants, fu- 17 neral homes, theaters, churches, and schools. 18 (3) The spectrum of experiences of students 19 and teachers at the Blackwell School constitute an 20 important record of life in a segregated school in the 21 context of the history of Texas and America. 22 (4) Mexican and Mexican American culture and 23 history in Marfa is tied to the Blackwell School, 24 which for more than 50 years served as a leading 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 8221 IH feature of the Hispanic community, illustrating the 1 challenge of maintaining cultural identity in a domi- 2 nant Anglo society. Yet today, Hispanic influences 3 are seen in Marfa’s social and religious organiza- 4 tions, business and government institutions, and 5 shared experiences of language, food, and music. 6 (5) The historic Blackwell School building is a 7 physical record of the longevity and beauty of the 8 distinctive design and craftsmanship informed by 9 both traditional techniques and materials, and the 10 transition from purely the vernacular to the period 11 of materials, design, and workmanship made avail- 12 able after the arrival of the railroad. The original 13 historic school building and grounds on which it 14 stands provide an authentic setting to commemorate 15 and interpret the history of the Blackwell School. 16 (6) The Blackwell School is closely associated 17 with the broad patterns of local, State, and national 18 history in the area of school segregation. Mexicans 19 and other members of the Latin American diaspora 20 have placed a high value upon education as a means 21 of economic, social, and political advancement. 22 (7) Mexican Americans and other members of 23 the Latin American diaspora have placed a high 24 value upon education as a means of economic, social, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 8221 IH and political advancement. However, Hispanics and 1 Latinos have not always had equitable opportunities 2 and access to quality educational facilities in the 3 United States. 4 SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACKWELL SCHOOL NA- 5 TIONAL HISTORIC SITE. 6 (a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 8 there is established the Blackwell School National 9 Historic Site in the State of Texas as a unit of the 10 National Park System to preserve, protect and inter- 11 pret for the benefit of present and future genera- 12 tions the Blackwell School, its role as both an aca- 13 demic and cultural cornerstone in the community in 14 Marfa, Texas, and its function within a segregated 15 system of education in Texas and the United States 16 from 1885 through 1965. 17 (2) CONDITIONS.—The national historic site 18 shall not be established until the date on which the 19 Secretary has— 20 (A) entered into a written agreement with 21 the Marfa Unified School District providing 22 that the Blackwell School shall be donated to or 23 placed by agreement into co-management with 24 the United States for inclusion in a national 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 5 •HR 8221 IH historic site to be managed consistently with the 1 purposes of a national historic site; and 2 (B) acquired sufficient land or interests in 3 land within the boundaries of the national his- 4 toric site to constitute a manageable unit. 5 (b) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the national 6 historic site shall be the boundaries generally depicted on 7 the map. 8 (c) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file 9 and available for public inspection in the appropriate of- 10 fices of the National Park Service. 11 (d) ACQUISITION OF AUTHORITY.—The Secretary 12 may only acquire any land or interest in land located with- 13 in the boundary of the national historic site by— 14 (1) donation; 15 (2) purchase with donated funds; or 16 (3) exchange. 17 (e) ADMINISTRATION.— 18 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall admin- 19 ister this national historic site in accordance with— 20 (A) this Act; and 21 (B) the laws generally applicable to units 22 of the National Park System. 23 (2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS 6 •HR 8221 IH (A) Not later than 3 years after the date 1 on which funds are first made available to the 2 Secretary for this purpose, the Secretary shall 3 prepare a general management plan for the na- 4 tional historic site in accordance with section 5 100502 of title 54, United States Code. 6 (B) Upon completion, the Secretary shall 7 submit the general management plan prepared 8 pursuant to subparagraph (A) to the Com- 9 mittee on Natural Resources of the House of 10 Representatives and Committee on Energy and 11 Natural Resources of the Senate. 12 (f) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary 13 shall enter into cooperative agreements with the Blackwell 14 School Alliance (and other local, regional, State, academic 15 and non-profit partners) for interpretive and educational 16 programming, technical assistance, and rehabilitation re- 17 lated to the national historic site. 18 (g) WRITTEN CONSENT OF OWNER.—No private 19 property or non-Federal public property shall be included 20 within the boundaries of the national historic site or man- 21 aged as part of the national historic site without the writ- 22 ten consent of the owner of such property. 23 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 22:48 Sep 15, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H8221.IH H8221 jbell on DSKJLSW7X2PROD with BILLS