U.S. #4201
2007 41¢ Mendez v. Westminster
Issue Date: September 14, 2007
City: Santa Ana, CA
Quantity: 40,000,000
Printed By: Ashton-Potter (USA) Ltd
Printing Method: Lithographed
Perforations: 11
Color: Multicolored
In 1945, Gonzalo Mendez and his family lived in Westminster, California, which had segregated schools. There was a two-room shack for Mexicans, and a well-built school with a lawn and other amenities for whites-only. Determined that his children should have a good education, Mendez sued the school system and won, forcing them to desegregate. The landmark case set the precedent for Brown v. Board of Education, which prohibited school segregation nationwide.