Salina Post proudly presents Flashback Friday in partnership with the Smoky Hill Museum. Enjoy a weekly tidbit of local history from the staff at Salina Post and the Smoky Hill Museum as we present "Salina-Flashback Fridays."
By SALINA POST
“Remember you are shaping yourself every second you live.”
– Bessie Ellis Caldwell, Look Up and Live Always Moving.
In the early 1900s, all women had a hard time becoming teachers or leaders at colleges. However, women of color, particularly Black women, were notably absent in these roles. Before the 1960s, very few colleges admitted women of color, and even fewer hired them as teachers.
A Champion for Inclusion Professor Bessie Caldwell taught for three decades at Marymount College in Salina, initially an all-female catholic university. Marymount’s faculty was largely female. Caldwell stood out as a minority among her white peers.
From 1960 to 1975, she rose to chair of the Physical Education Department. Clear proof of her leadership skills in the academic community.
Caldwell’s daily schedule was typically bursting with activity. From sunrise to sunset, Bessie contributed her heart and soul to the lives of others.
● Fresh, full breakfast for her family.
● Chairing the Physical Education Department and teaching at Marymount College.
● Managing and instructing Caldwell School of Dance.
● Choreographing dances for local schools, theaters, and studios.
● Judging competitions.
● Serving and fellowship with community organizations.
● Dinner and the support of her family.
Active in the NAACP, Caldwell fought against racial bias and discrimination. She notably teamed up with her colleague, Sister Evangeline Thomas. Together, they contested the unequal employment prospects for Black nurses at Asbury Hospital. Caldwell's dedication to fairness reached into the community as well.
In the theater, she refused to choreograph or collaborate on projects that overlooked talented Black students for roles. Her unwavering stance echoed her belief in a truly inclusive and equitable society.
Caldwell's passion for dance traces back to her childhood with her dance lessons from instructor Mabel Williams in Kansas City. While in college, she gravitated toward modern dance. This prompted her to seek out new techniques by studying under acclaimed professionals like Lester Horton, Martha Graham and Hanya Holm.
Caldwell generously shared her acquired knowledge with our community, leaving behind a lasting legacy. According to the American Association for University Women, in 2017, only 5.2% of tenured faculty were Black.
READ MORE: 📸 Flashback Friday: Salina Post - Lt. Dorethea LaFollette - Vol. 37
Find out more about Caldwell's story and the legacies of other remarkable Salina women at the Smoky Hill Museum's newest exhibit titled, "Step up to the Task" running from April 12 - Oct. 5
All exhibits at the Smoky Hill Museum are free to the public.