S. 2490 

One Hundred Seventeenth Congress 

of the 

United States of America 

AT THE SECOND SESSION 

Begun and held at the City of Washington on Monday, 

the third day of January, two thousand and twenty two 

An Act 

To establish the Blackwell School National Historic Site in Marfa, Texas, and 

for other purposes. 

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 

the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Blackwell School National Historic Site Act’’. 

SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

Congress finds that— 

(1) the Blackwell School, located at 501 South Abbott 

Street, in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is— 

(A) associated with the period of racial segregation 

in Marfa public schools; and 

(B) the only extant property directly associated with 

Hispanic education in Marfa since the other buildings were 

torn down after the Blackwell School closed in 1965; 

(2) the Blackwell School is a tangible reminder of the 

period during which the doctrine of ‘‘separate but equal’’ dominated education and social systems; 

(3) despite being categorized as ‘‘white’’ by Texas law, Mexican Americans were regularly excluded from commingling with 

Anglo individuals at barbershops, restaurants, funeral homes, 

theaters, churches, and schools; 

(4) the spectrum of experiences of students and teachers 

at the Blackwell School are an important record of life in 

a segregated school in the context of the history of Texas 

and the United States; 

(5) Mexican and Mexican American culture and history 

in Marfa is tied to the Blackwell School, which for more than 

50 years served as a leading feature of the Hispanic community, 

illustrating the challenge of maintaining cultural identity in 

a dominant Anglo society; 

(6) Hispanic influences continue to be seen in social and 

religious organizations, business and government institutions, 

and shared experiences of language, food, and music in Marfa, 

Texas; 

(7) the historic Blackwell School building is a physical 

record of— 

(A) the longevity and beauty of the distinctive design 

and craftsmanship informed by traditional techniques and 

materials; and 
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(B) the transition from the purely vernacular to the 

period of materials, design, and workmanship made available after the arrival of the railroad; 

(8) the original historic school building and grounds on 

which the Blackwell School building stands provide an 

authentic setting to commemorate and interpret the history 

of the Blackwell School; 

(9) the Blackwell School is closely associated with the broad 

patterns of local, State, and national history in the area of 

school segregation; and 

(10) Mexicans and other members of the Latin American 

diaspora have placed a high value on education as a means 

of economic, social, and political advancement, but Hispanics 

and Latinos have not always had equitable opportunities and 

access to quality educational facilities in the United States. 

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 

In this Act: 

(1) MAP.—The term ‘‘map’’ means the map entitled 

‘‘Blackwell School National Historic Site Proposed Boundary’’, 

numbered 593/178387, and dated February 2022. 

(2) NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE.—The term ‘‘National Historic 

Site’’ means the Blackwell School National Historic Site established by section 4(a)(1). 

(3) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 

of the Interior. 

SEC. 4. ESTABLISHMENT OF THE BLACKWELL SCHOOL NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE. 

(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— (1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), there is established the Blackwell School National Historic Site in the State 

of Texas as a unit of the National Park System to preserve, 

protect, and interpret for the benefit of present and future 

generations the Blackwell School, including— 

(A) the role of the Blackwell School as an academic 

and cultural cornerstone in Marfa, Texas; and 

(B) the function of the Blackwell School within a segregated system of education in Texas and the United States 

from the period of 1885 through 1965. 

(2) DETERMINATION BY SECRETARY.—The National Historic 

Site shall not be established until the date on which the Secretary determines that— 

(A) a written agreement has been entered into by the 

Secretary with the Marfa Unified School District providing 

that the Blackwell School shall be donated to the United 

States or co-managed with the Secretary for inclusion in 

a national historic site to be managed consistently with 

the purposes of a national historic site; and 

(B) a sufficient quantity of land or an interest in land 

within the boundaries of the National Historic Site has 

been acquired to constitute a manageable unit. 

(b) MAP.— (1) BOUNDARIES.—The boundaries of the National Historic 

Site shall be the boundaries generally depicted on the map. 

(2) AVAILABILITY OF MAP.—The map shall be on file and 

available for public inspection in the appropriate offices of 

the National Park Service. 
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(c) ACQUISITION OF AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may only 

acquire any land or interest in land located within the boundary 

of the National Historic Site by— 

(1) donation; 

(2) purchase with donated funds; or 

(3) exchange. 

(d) ADMINISTRATION.— 

(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall administer the 

National Historic Site in accordance with— 

(A) this Act; and 

(B) the laws generally applicable to units of the 

National Park System. 

(2) MANAGEMENT PLAN.— 

(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 3 years after the 

date on which funds are first made available to the Secretary to prepare a general management plan for the 

National Historic Site, the Secretary shall prepare a general management plan for the National Historic Site in 

accordance with section 100502 of title 54, United States 

Code. 

(B) SUBMISSION.—On completion of the general 

management plan under subparagraph (A), the Secretary 

shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural 

Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural 

Resources of the House of Representatives the general 

management plan prepared under that subparagraph. 

(e) COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS.—The Secretary shall enter into 

cooperative agreements with the Blackwell School Alliance and 

other local, regional, State, academic, and nonprofit partners for 

interpretive and educational programming, technical assistance, 

and rehabilitation relating to the National Historic Site. 

(f) WRITTEN CONSENT OF OWNER.—No private property or nonFederal public property shall be included within the boundaries 

of the National Historic Site or managed as part of the National 

Historic Site without the written consent of the owner of the property. 

Speaker of the House of Representatives. 

Vice President of the United States and

President of the Senate.