CONTACT: Leslie Licano, (714) 573-0884
ORANGE COUNTY HISTORICAL EVENTS FOREVER ALTER A
NATION
Celebrate
ÒHispanic Heritage MonthÓ with a Historic Look at ÒMendez vs.
WestminsterÓ–
The Local Case
that Altered the Course of American History
In honor of Hispanic Heritage
Month, KOCE-TV and Emmy Award-winning producer Sandra Robbie take a historic
look at the groundbreaking course of events set off by an average
Mexican-American family in Orange County.
In an effort to educate Orange County citizens, Sandra Robbie is
available to discuss Hispanic Heritage Month and the historic events which occurred
more than 60 years ago that sparked the landmark case which would shape the
course of U.S. Civil Rights for generations to come.
Orange County: A
Birthplace of the American Civil Rights Movement
Sylvia Mendez was a
third-grader in 1943, a time not so long ago, when students from different races
were required to enroll at separate campuses. When she and her siblings were banned from attending the
segregated all-white campus near their Orange County home, the Mendez family
fought back. Their 1946 victory desegregated public schools in Orange County
and became a precedent for broader decisions.
Today, 58 years after the
Mendez vs. Westminster School District case, and 50 years after the U.S.
Supreme Court outlawed the Òseparate but equalÓ doctrine in Brown vs. Board of
Education, CaliforniaÕs schools are known for being among the countryÕs most
ethnically and racially diverse.
Sandra Robbie:
Educating the Future, Remembering the Past
Sandra Robbie, was a Latina
working as an intern at KOCE-TV when she got the idea to produce a documentary
exploring this local case and itÕs far-reaching implications, Mendez vs.
Westminster: For All the Children / Para Todos los Ninos. She
produced the piece with KOCE-TV while still an intern, and less than 2 years
later, the documentary was completed and it had earned an Emmy and a Golden
Mike.
Robbie calls Mendez vs.
Westminster a milestone in the Hispanic civil rights movement, and wishes to
educate the nation about Orange CountyÕs role in creating such widespread
change. ÒMany people donÕt realize
that the civil rights movement wasnÕt limited to the deep South or that it
represented more than a struggle between black and white – it was about
people of many colors and it was a fight that resonated throughout the
country,Ó she says. ÒWhat
happened here in our own backyard more than 60 years ago truly changed our
nation.Ó
To date, Robbie has been an
OC NAACP 2003 Citizen of Distinction recipient and an OC MANA honoree for her
work with the media. SheÕs also
been awarded the Mexican American Bar Association of LA CountyÕs ÒCruz Reynoso
Award,Ó and currently, holds a position with the Orange County Association for
the Education of Young ChildrenÕs Diversity Committee. Robbie serves as both co-host of
KOCE-TVÕs series ÒHelp Me Grow,Ó and an as assistant producer of the stationsÕ
daily news program, ÒReal Orange.Ó
She has traveled all over the nation lecturing about Mendez vs.
Westminster: For All the Children, and
speaking to heads of state, key
educational leaders and the President of the United States.
Interview Suggestions:
Hispanic Heritage Month (9/15 to 10/15)
Sandra Robbie is readily
available to discuss the following timely news topics:
á
Educating our Future
– The Role of Mexican-American History in CaliforniaÕs Schools
á
The Resounding Impact of
Orange County History, both Locally and Nationally
á
SandraÕs Story –
From Intern to Emmy Award-winning Producer in Less Than 2 Years
á
How ÒMendez vs.
WestminsterÓ Forever Altered the Course of American History
á
Hispanic Heritage Month
– Its Origin, Its Purpose, and the Celebration
To schedule an interview or for more information
contact Leslie Licano at (714) 573-0884 or e-mail leslie@echomediapr.com