Kutztown University honors first Black graduate, long-time teacher in Reading

• Anthony Orozco
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  Anthony Orozco was the Latino communities reporter for WITF.

Bessie Reese Crenshaw, Kutztown University’s first Black graduate, was honored by the school Thursday.

The graduate of the class of 1950 was presented with the Kutztown University President’s Medal for her being a trailblazer at the school.

University President Kenneth S. Hawkins said he learned about Reese Crenshaw from posters about her that were displayed on campus. After he watched an interview with her, he said he knew he had to honor her work.

“It is essential that her amazing story be told, and remembered and serve as an inspiration to our students, and all those in our community,” Hawkins said at a ceremony on Kutztown’s campus.

Reese Crenshaw graduated from Reading High School in 1946 and enrolled in the school, then known as Kutztown State Teachers’ College, as its only Black student.

“You know, when I entered Kutztown more than 70 years ago, I didn’t do it to be a maverick or a trailblazer,” Reese Crenshaw said. “I did it because I saw education as the key to my future and I believe it remains so for today’s youth.”

Reese Crenshaw was also able to obtain the J.F. Goodwin Scholarship to help pay for her education. The scholarship was created in 1936 by a young Black physician, the scholarship namesake, who wanted to assist Black students complete higher education.

In 1950, Reese Crenshaw became the university’s first Black graduate, earning a bachelor’s degree in education.

But, she came to find her hometown of Reading and the rest of Berks County was not ready to hire a Black teacher.

Reese Crenshaw left the area to begin her career as a third-, fourth- and later fifth-grade teacher at the all-black Berry O’Kelly School in Method, N.C. She also continued her education, attaining her master’s degree from North Carolina College at Durham.

“I was willing to go to any lengths to pursue my dream of teaching, even if it meant feeling uncomfortable for a while,” Reese Crenshaw said.

Eventually, her path took her back to Reading. In 1969, she was able to realize her dream of becoming a teacher in her hometowns. She taught third grade for 20 years at 10th and Green Elementary School.

After her retirement, she continued her commitment to education through her support of the Help One Another organization. The group raises money to buy books for school children, and provides funds for college scholarships and textbooks.

She has also volunteered her time with the Literacy Council of Berks County, Campfire Girls and the Black Heritage Center.

“Who I am and what I’ve accomplished is the sum total of my experiences along with the support of friends and family,” Reese Crenshaw said. “Attending Kutztown is also part of my legacy and for that, and this award, I am sincerely grateful and I am thankful to all of you.”

Anthony Orozco is a part of the “Report for America” program — a national service effort that places journalists in newsrooms across the country to report on under-covered topics and communities.