A Personal Perspective: The American Legacy - Pass It On

Reflections on Brown v. Board
Article by Dennis A. Vasquez
Superintendent Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site

We are all beneficiaries of the legacies of the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the Mendez v. Westminster School District decision of a decade earlier. Many American families have stories about life before Brown or Mendez.

My parents were born and raised in rural West Texas towns during the Depression years. My father went to a segregated elementary school. In his small town, Mexican American children attended one school, white children another.

In the 1950s, my mother went to a teachers' college in West Texas. Upon graduation, school administrators discouraged her from applying for teaching jobs in West Texas and she moved to New Mexico to work as a teacher. She was the only Hispanic on the faculty.

My parents started their family in the days after Brown and Mendez during a time of great social change and unrest in this country. Nevertheless, it was also a time of great hope. Growing up the oldest of five children, I never heard my parents bemoan any past injustices or slights. I imagine they were happy to raise children in a world they perceived as becoming more tolerant of differences. They perceived a world more filled with opportunities. They perceived a world in which America was more fully fulfilling its promise to its people.

After spending the past 25 years working in national parks, I have had plenty of time to marvel at the spectacular landscapes and natural wonders of this country. I have also marveled at the many powerful and moving stories found throughout our country of ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The National Park Service cares for special places, saved by the American people, so that all may experience our heritage. As National Park Service employees, we see ourselves as stewards and tellers of the American story. We also see ourselves sharing this mission with many others.

As the new Superintendent at Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site, I am honored to be able to contribute to the telling of this important American story and to continue this essential dialogue. We are all beneficiaries of a great American legacy. We are all responsible for furthering this legacy, passing it on, as we continue to pursue the promise of a more perfect union.

For visitor information, see www.nps.gov/brvb or call 785-354-1489.
Visit the Brown v. Board National Historic Site 15th & Monroe in Topeka, Kansas

Visitors view displays at Brown v. Board National Historic Site in Topeka, Kansas.