Political Quotes

“I wish to celebrate the centennial anniversary of the Piper v. Big Pine School District of Inyo County decision which led to the desegregation of Native American youth in California public schools. At a young age of 15 years old, Alice Piper, a member of the Big Pine Paiute Tribe of California, was joined by six other Native American students from Inyo County who sought to enroll in the new, local public school. When they were denied entry due to their Native American heritage, these young students courageously fought for equality by taking their case to the California Supreme Court. On June 2, 1924, the Supreme Court of California unanimously ruled in Piper's favor, opening the door for Native American students in the State of California to attend public schools. This ruling was cited as precedent in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court Brown v. Board of Education case, which, of course, established racial segregation in public schools as unconstitutional. Alice Piper was a trailblazer in California history whose bravery and tenacity was instrumental toward expanding the civil rights and educational opportunities available to millions of students across the State, and eventually the country, for generations to come.…”