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Orange Unified board honors Lorenzo Ramirez, family urges permanent recognition and school renaming
Summary
The board celebrated the legacy of Lorenzo Ramirez for his role in early desegregation lawsuits; family members and community advocates urged the district to pursue permanent recognition — including renaming Jordan Elementary — and recounted personal histories tied to the Mendez v. Westminster case.
The Orange Unified School District Board of Education on April 16 recognized Lorenzo Ramirez for his role in local desegregation efforts that contributed to statewide school integration. Trustees read a board acknowledgement and invited several family members and longtime community advocates to tell personal stories that, they said, illustrate the significance of Ramirez’s work in the Mendez v. Westminster-era cases.
Janice Perez Carroll recounted being removed from her neighborhood school as a child because officials said she spoke Spanish, a moment her family used to help launch legal action and community organizing that later fed into Mendez-era litigation. ‘‘I was home I was so eager to start school… and when they asked me to leave after two weeks I was so disappointed,’’ Perez Carroll said, describing her family’s decision to move so she could attend an integrated school.
Other speakers — including Leila Grajeda, Ava Perez and Michael Ramirez, Lorenzo Ramirez’s son — described Ramirez’s community leadership in mid-20th-century Orange County, the family’s decades-long activism, and the intergenerational impact of the litigation. Michael Ramirez urged the board to consider renaming Jordan Elementary School in Ramirez’s honor so the legacy remains visible to local students.
Board members and attendees framed the recognition as part of a broader effort to embed local history into district curriculum and practice. Trustee remarks referenced a 2011 board proclamation, the naming of the El Medina school library for Ramirez, and district curriculum work that integrates the Ramirez legacy into instruction for grades 5, 8 and 11.
The recognition prompted expressions of support from trustees and community leaders, and the board said the discussion would continue, with no final decision on renaming made during the meeting. The board invited family members to receive a copy of the declaration and take a photo with trustees.
What’s next: trustees said they would continue conversations with staff, families, and the community about permanent recognition options, including possible naming proposals.
