How do you have a groundbreaking during pandemic times and commemorate Orange County’s landmark desegregation case at the same time?
Make a video. Post it online.
The Orange County Department of Education and the city of Westminster have joined for a unique online groundbreaking of a new park and trail that will commemorate a local court case that led to the desegregation of California’s schools.
A pre-recorded video highlighting the park and memorial honoring the landmark ruling Mendez v. Westminster goes live at 3:30 p.m.Tuesday, Oct. 13, and will be available via the two hosting organizations’ Facebook pages. The 17-minute video features remarks from city and county leaders, community members and students. The online groundbreaking includes old photos, aerial shots and a retelling of the history.
The video also features Sylvia Mendez, who as a little girl was turned away with her siblings from what was then known as Westminster’s 17th Street School. Because she and her brothers – American citizens – are of Mexican descent, they were told they couldn’t attend the “white school.” Her parents, along with four other families, took the matter to court.
For decades, the case was forgotten. Now, it’s celebrated in a more diverse Orange County.
Westminster Councilman Sergio Contreras, who spearheaded the effort to create the park and serves as the online groundbreaking host, said that he hopes the park will “help bring people together” and mark the city’s place in history.
“My hope is this park will solidify Westminster’s civil rights legacy, educate residents and visitors of the importance of equality, and remind us that through perseverance anyone can change the world,” Contreras wrote in an e-mail.
Educators are looking to the park also as an educational tool. It will feature interpretative panels and four interactive stations, where visitors can hold their phones up and hear history come to life.
“Picture one of the children holding up a phone to a picture of Sylvia mendez and having Sylvia come to life and start talking abou the story in her own words,” said Jeff Hittenberger, the department’s chief academic officer.
Superintendent Al Mijares, the first Mexican American to serve in his role as leader of the county’s education department, said that the case “broke new ground not just for Orange County, but for our entire nation”.
“My hope is that this park and monument can serve as a unifying public space and a reminder that we all have the potential to affect change for the betterment of others,” Mijares said in a statement.
Last month, the case won its most recent recognition when Google honored Felicitas Mendez, Sylvia Mendez’s mother, with a doodle and mini-documentary.
Funding for the park at Westminster Boulevard and Olive Street came from various sources, with the biggest chunk, nearly $1.3 million, from a state park program grant awarded to the city. The California Natural Resources Agency is funding an adjoining $2.3 million Mendez Freedom Trail, Contreras said.
Both projects are anticipated to be completed by next spring.
