HerStory: Sylvia Mendez
Sylvia Mendez grew up during a time when most schools were segregated. In 1944, her father, Gonzalo Mendez, leased a farm from a Japanese-American family ordered to a relocation camp. The farm was located in Westminster, a small town in Southern California's Orange County. In California, Mexican-American children were not allowed to attend schools designated for "Whites" only and were sent to so-called "Mexican schools." Sylvia Mendez was denied enrollment to a "Whites" only school in Westminster that enrolled her cousins who had a French last name and lighter skin. This event prompted her parents and other Mexican-American community members to take action and organize to file a lawsuit in the local federal court. At the age of eight, Sylvia played an instrumental role in the Mendez v. Westminster case, the landmark desegregation case of 1947. The case successfully made California the first state in the nation to end school segregation and paved the way for integration and the arguments presented during the Brown v. Board of Education case.
Today, she continues to advocate for American civil rights. President Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.
As we celebrate Women’s History Month and our 1 yr anniversary as an org, we want to highlight children’s books that celebrate amazing women who have made impactful changes for children of color throughout history.
