Sylvia Mendez

Sylvia Mendez was the plaintiff in the landmark 1947 case Mendez v. Westminster. The case challenged the “whites only” policy of four Los Angeles school districts, and ultimately the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of Mendez.

After widespread criticism for having a school named for a slave owner, Berkeley Unified School District will vote on a list of seven new names for LeConte Elementary School on May 30.

As a Latinx person living in the United States, I believe that while it is essential to document the struggles of Latinx people and other people of color throughout history, it is equally important to shed light on success stories to emphasize that people of color are not only passive victims of circumstance, but rather proactive figures in creating their own change.

Civil rights activist Sylvia Mendez gave four speeches in Berkeley to honor the 70-year anniversary of her family’s historic 1947 Mendez v. Westminster court case Thursday.