America's Newest National Park Will Be Right Here In Texas

Another Texas area has been added to the National Park System. KXAN reported that America's newest national park is right here in Texas.

President Joe Biden signed an act on Tuesday that designates the Blackwell School Site in Marfa as the newest national park. This will permanently keep the school's history alive.

Blackwell School tells the story of Texas school districts that established elementary schools for Mexican American children through de facto segregation. This meant that students were being separated from their white peers even though there was no legislation requiring it.

The school closed in 1965 when a new school opened and Marfa's school achieved integration. National Park Service Director Chuck Sams said:

"It is our solemn responsibility as caretakers of America’s national treasures to tell the whole story of our nation’s heritage for the benefit of present and future generations. The National Park Service will continue working closely with key stakeholders dedicated to the preservation of Blackwell School, and those directly impacted by the de facto segregation of Mexican Americans during the early 1900s, to preserve and interpret this significant historic site to the public."

The new national park site consists of the original adobe schoolhouse and a smaller 1927 classroom building.