Sylvia Mendez

Sylvia Mendez
Author: US Department of Agriculture, 2018, Public Domain

Born June 7, 1936 in CA

Civil rights pioneer who was denied schooling at 8 years old for being of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage.

Championed by her father, her Mendez v. Westminster legal case led to segregation being outlawed in CA public schools.

Became a pediatric nurse and earned multiple nursing degrees and a certificate in public health.

An American Civil Rights activist, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011.