Assistant Professor Jorge Rodriguez grew up in Santa Ana, but it wasn’t until he returned to Orange County to teach at Attallah College of Educational Studies that he learned about the significant role that the local community played in the history of school desegregation.

Now, he has incorporated that history into his courses by leading students in his classes on a community walk focusing on the geographic histories of Orange and its impact on educators and community organizers. Students learn about the local landmark case Mendez v. Westminster, the desegregation histories in Orange County and tour historical landmarks within the Cypress Street Barrio Neighborhood, including the Cypress Street Schoolhouse and the Lydia D. Killefer School.

“What better way to expose students to this concept of making the familiar strange than to actually walk the neighborhood that they walk on the way to school?” says Rodriguez, noting that students get to experience not just coming to Chapman, but actually living within an environment that has historical significance. “But not just any historical significance… the birthplace of desegregation is right there.”

Participants regularly list the neighborhood walks as a highlight for the course, says Rodriguez. “They say, I can’t not see this neighborhood as a historical landmark or see the value in this neighborhood. Because of the history and the legacy that exists here, I now see my campus from a different light.”