Political Quotes

“Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 4706, offered by Representative 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.”