About Alice

The Alice Piper Project is a subsidiary of NDN, inc. with a primary focus locally, statewide, and nationally by increasing the awareness of Alice Piper and the court case that changed the segregation of American Indian children in the state of California in 1924. "Alice Piper, a 15-year-old Paiute student, made history in 1924 by successfully suing the Big Pine School District to integrate their classrooms and allow Indigenous students to attend their newly built school. The California Supreme Court Case Piper v. Big Pine School District of Inyo County not only changed the treatment of Indigenous students in California schools, but also set a precedent that was cited thirty years later in the US Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, which declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional." (Ellie Kaplan, National Park Service)

Through awareness and advocacy, NDN, inc. will host a centennial celebration of the Alice Pieper vs Big Pine School District in June 2024. The event will also honor with scholarships and awards for Native and non-Naitve stufents in the region. This will increase to statewide recognition of students graduation from High School. A Teacher of the Year award will also be created in the of Alice Piper to honor teachers committed to serving the needs of underserved and marganizled communities.  

To honor Alice Piper, her former home will be designated a historical location and will be converted into a place of education and share the story of overcoming barriers to education along with a space to talk about overcoming segregation and advancing Native American equity.