Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, was established on November 11, 2022, as the 423rd unit of the National Park System. The school operated from the 1880s through 1965 as the segregated school for Mexican American children in the Marfa Independent School District during the era of "Juan Crow" discrimination in Texas. Students were punished for speaking Spanish and faced systematic educational inequality. The site was championed by former students and their descendants — known as the Blackwell School Alliance — who preserved the remaining adobe classroom building and shared their oral histories to ensure this chapter of civil rights history would not be forgotten.
📚 Learn More at NPSHistory.com →Blackwell School NHS in TX is one of hundreds of National Park Service sites where interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. This directive requires parks to review materials that could be considered negative about past or living Americans — a standard that threatens the factual historical record these sites were created to preserve.
Why this matters: Blackwell School NHS is one of 466+ National Park Service sites where historically accurate interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. Over 300 million people visit national parks each year. For many — especially schoolchildren — these visits are their first and deepest encounter with American history.
Blackwell School NHS in TX is one of hundreds of National Park Service sites where interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. This directive requires parks to review materials that could be considered negative about past or living Americans — a standard that threatens the factual historical record these sites were created to preserve.
Why this matters: Blackwell School NHS is one of 466+ National Park Service sites where historically accurate interpretive content has been flagged under Secretary's Order 3431. Over 300 million people visit national parks each year. For many — especially schoolchildren — these visits are their first and deepest encounter with American history.
Blackwell School NHS in TX preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The interpretive materials at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
From the internal review records: “The Texas State Historical Marker needs revisement for historical accuracy. The marker was in place prior to NPS establishment and recent research proves that the school was never a Methodist Church. This is the responsibility of the Texas State Historical Commission Historic Markers Program.”
Why this matters: Blackwell School NHS is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.
The Texas State Historical Marker needs revisement for historical accuracy. The marker was in place prior to NPS establishment and recent research proves that the school was never a Methodist Church. This is the responsibility of the Texas State Historical Commission Historic Markers Program.
Blackwell School NHS in TX preserves a piece of American history that the public has trusted the National Park Service to protect and interpret. The exhibit panels at this site have been developed over years by historians, subject-matter experts, and park staff — and are now being reviewed under Secretary's Order 3431.
From the internal review records: “All of the current exhibits were created by the Blackwell School Alliance and will be updated to NPS design formatting with new exhibits. With the site being new, there are several plans that must come first before we can make the new exhibits, and funding is needed. The information on the exhibits is good for now, but there are some amazing ideas that we have to better use this information and ne...”
Why this matters: Blackwell School NHS is part of a network of over 400 national parks that serve as America's classrooms. The interpretive materials here were developed by subject-matter experts to help visitors understand the full story of this place. When historically accurate content is removed, the public loses access to its own history.
All of the current exhibits were created by the Blackwell School Alliance and will be updated to NPS design formatting with new exhibits. With the site being new, there are several plans that must come first before we can make the new exhibits, and funding is needed. The information on the exhibits is good for now, but there are some amazing ideas that we have to better use this information and new research for the visitor experience.
See all 874+ entries across every national park and wildlife refuge.
Open Interactive Map →