Sunday Speaker Series: History of School Walkouts in South Texas

Photo above: James Barrera, coordinator of the Mexican American Studies at South Texas College, will talk about the 1960s Chicano Student Walkouts in South Texas. Photo courtesy of James B. Barrera

By Pamela Morales, Museum of South Texas History

EDINBURG, Texas — The Museum of South Texas History welcomes James B. Barrera to present “‘We Want Better Education!’: The 1960s Chicano Student Movement, School Walkouts and the Quest for Education Reform in South Texas” during the Sunday Speaker Series at 2 p.m. June 9. 

This presentation will focus on how Chicano/Mexican American students organized and sustained their own school “walkouts,” or grassroots protest movement, in response to the educational deficiencies that they faced in public schools throughout South Texas before and during the 1960s.

Four major case studies that underscore this type of social protest activism in the region include West Side San Antonio, Edcouch-Elsa, Kingsville and Crystal City. These case studies further reveal that school-related issues were an important element of the students’ political and cultural struggle to gain a better-quality education and equal treatment at their schools. These students also emerged as the most determined and aspiring participants in the struggle for social justice, educational reform and equal opportunity throughout the region.

Barrera is the coordinator of the Mexican American Studies at South Texas College in McAllen where he teaches U.S., Texas and Mexican American history and history capstone courses. His research focuses on the history of Latinos/Mexican Americans in the United States, emphasizing civil rights, oral narratives, ethnicity and educational activism. He is the author of “‘We Want Better Education!’: The 1960s Chicano Student Movement, School Walkouts and the Quest for Educational Reform in South Texas” published by Texas A&M University Press, as part of the Elma Dill Russell Spencer Series in the West and Southwest. This book recently won the Al Lowman Memorial Prize as the best book on Texas county and local history by the Texas State Historical Association. 

Sunday Speaker Series is included in the fee for regular museum admission. FRIENDS of MOSTHistory are admitted free as a benefit of FRIENDship and must present their FRIENDship card at the Admissions Desk.

This program is made possible with generous support from the Carmen C. Guerra Endowment. Mrs. Guerra was deeply committed to supporting educational opportunities in the Rio Grande Valley. This named endowment was created at the museum by her family to honor her memory and to continue her commitment to providing opportunities for education to the community.