Community Voices remembers Phyllis (Ash) Seabolt, the first African American secondary teacher for Kalamazoo Public Schools. Editor Sonya Bernard-Hollins had the opportunity to interview Seabolt for a special edition of KPS’ Excelsior in 2012.
When a young Phyllis Ash left her hometown of Dowagiac, Michigan to become a student at Western State Teacher’s College, she entered a new world. In this world, she was one of a few African Americans who sought a better future through education with the goal to educate others. In her quest, she was met with discrimination in housing and in class.
In 1946, during her last year in college, racism glared straight into her eyes. There were less than a dozen African Americans who attended the teacher’s college; all had to live off campus and could not eat in the cafeteria. Her dean offered to give her an “A” in a class if she were to forgo living on campus to complete it (a requirement for the class).
She left the office in tears and ran straight into a white classmate. When she told of her dilemma, the classmate marched back into the dean’s office with Ash.(*Read the full story at: https://issuu.com/communityvoices/docs/april_excelsior
A celebration of her life was held July 20 at First United Methodist Church, 212 S. Park Street in Kalamazoo. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Phyllis E. Seabolt Scholarship Endowment in the College of Education, Western Michigan University or to the Stewart Family Reunion Education Scholarship Fund.
(See full obituary at: MLive Obituaries)
SEABOLT, Phyllis E. Kalamazoo, MICH. A devoted wife, mother, sister, educator and community activist, Phyllis Eloyce (Ash) Seabolt died peacefully at her residence at Woodside Assisted Living on Friday, July 13th. Phyllis, the oldest of four children of Carl Emerson and Gladys Irene (Stewart) Ash, was born May 10, 1925 and grew up in Dowagiac, MI.
Phyllis’ parents set a wonderful example of fine character, high expectations, strong faith and civic involvement that she and her siblings all aspired to emulate. She was a studious high schooler, vice president of the junior class, member of the Camp Fire Girls Club, the home economics club and glee club. When she completed high school in 1943, Phyllis attended Western Michigan College where she majored in education to become a “Home Economics” teacher.
At Western she continued her involvement in social justice events in the Kalamazoo community and on campus where she served as a class officer in her junior year. When Phyllis graduated in 1947, African Americans had not been allowed to teach at the secondary level in Kalamazoo. Dr. Loy Norrix, who was then the Superintendent of Kalamazoo Public Schools, challenged the segregated practice and assigned Phyllis to teach at Vine Street School that merged with Washington Middle School to become South Junior High School. Phyllis taught at South for 21 years. In 1970, she returned to Western but by this time Western had become a University and she was now a faculty member.
