1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Blackwell School National Historic Site Act . 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) National historic site The term national historic site means the Blackwell School, in Marfa, Texas. (2) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of the Interior. 3. Findings Congress finds as follows: (1) The Blackwell School, located at 501 South Abbott Street, in Marfa, Presidio County, Texas, is associated with the period of racial segregation in Marfa public schools and is the sole extant property directly associated with Hispanic education in the community, the remaining buildings having been torn down after the school closed in 1965. (2) The Blackwell School is a tangible reminder of a time when the practice of separate but equal dominated education and social systems. Despite being categorized as white by Texas law, Mexican Americans were regularly excluded from commingling with Anglos at barbershops, restaurants, funeral homes, theaters, churches, and schools. (3) The spectrum of experiences of students and teachers at the Blackwell School constitute an important record of life in a segregated school in the context of the history of Texas and America. (4) 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. Yet today, Hispanic influences are seen in Marfa’s social and religious organizations, business and government institutions, and shared experiences of language, food, and music. (5) The historic Blackwell School building is a physical record of the longevity and beauty of the distinctive design and craftsmanship informed by both traditional techniques and materials, and the transition from purely the vernacular to the period of materials, design, and workmanship made available after the arrival of the railroad. The original historic school building and grounds on