Since the beginning of our history on this continent, Black educators have performed a vital service to America in general and specifically to African Americans. From one-room schoolhouses to institutions of higher learning, from sitting on policymaking boards, to executive and administrative positions, to tutoring and teaching over the years with social grace, style, and academic excellence, Art That Touches Your Heart honors these Black educators.
Founded and sponsored by the non-profit organization Art That Touches Your Heart, this is this year’s inductees are the 10th class into the hall. Inductions are held in February of each year, in conjunction with Black History month. This year’s induction ceremony will be held Sat., Feb. 22, with a special program from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Rhatigan Student Center at Wichita State University. The ceremony is free and the community is invited to attend and join in the acknowledgement of these great educators.
Learn more about the inductees in these self-submitted bios.
Jesse Adams‘ journey through education began in the segregated school system of Wyandotte County, Kansas City, Kansas. A 1958 graduate of Sumner High School, he attended a school that, despite its origins in segregation, became a beacon of academic excellence. Sumner’s educators instilled in him the value of perseverance, inspiring his decision to become a teacher.
After attending Kansas City, Kansas Community College, Adams earned a degree in Secondary Education from Kansas State College in Pittsburg, Kansas. His teaching career began in 1962 at Matthews Jr. High, where he also coached. When desegregation led to the school’s closure in 1969, he continued at Mead and Curtis Jr. High, where his leadership as Head Coach helped secure multiple league titles.
In 1977, Adams transitioned into administration, serving as Assistant Principal at South High and Heights High. At South, he played a key role in launching “Project Graduation,” helping students stay on track for success. Even after retiring in 1998, his passion for mentoring students led him back to North High, where he served until 2013.
A firm believer in the power of “a little extra” effort, Adams’ legacy lives on in the countless students he motivated to strive for excellence.
Esther Berniece Anderson is a life long resident of Wichita Kansas. She grew up attending Wichita Public School system USD 259, and completed grades K through 12. Early on as a youth, she sensed a love for working with children, and hence started the journey to become a teacher. Academic achievements include graduating from North High School in 1967, earning a B.A. from Wichita State University in 1972, and a Master’s Degree in 1975. She received a Kansas Newman University Certificate in Leadership in 1998.
During the span of her 37 years in the school system prior to retirement, Mrs. Anderson served as a classroom teacher, grade level House Leader, and Assistant Academy Director(with the Edison School Program). She was committed to providing her students with organized and well-planned experiences that engaged, motivated, and supplied them with tools for life. In doing so, her students became involved in community and city-wide activities through drama, recitation, and projects.
They would visit and perform at neighborhood senior facilities, give gifts made in the classroom, and interview residents about their life history. They’d conduct school wide food drives and create care packages for the needy. They also would participate and perform in city-wide MLK and Black History Month programs. They were recognized for plays presented during Dental Health Month.
Mrs. Anderson’s approach, dedication, and high expectations for achievement set her apart from many. We are thankful for her commitment to our youth and community.
Sandra Barnes is a woman who has dedicated her life to her community through service in education and commitment to ministry. Barnes was raised in Wichita, Kansas, and was the second child of ten born to the union of James Maxwell McCartney and Mildred McCartney. With a career in education that spanned over three decades, Sandra Barnes has impacted generations of families in the Wichita community.
She is a product of Wichita Public Schools, graduating from Wichita East High School, and she has given back to the district that raised her by working in various capacities to reach the youngest to the oldest. Sandra proudly served as an early education teacher at the beginning of her career, educating our youngest in preschool and kindergarten classes with foundational tools.
Barnes’ passion for young people and experience in the district led her to co-direct a private, faith-based preschool, Kids of the Kingdom. Sandra’s dedication to children inspired her to launch early childhood centers in high schools in Wichita Public Schools, including metro schools and Wichita Heights High School. She taught teenage mothers’ key skills in mothering and nurturing their children in these centers.
Following her formal retirement from public schools, Sandra Barnes has worked directly in ministry. Her faith and family fueled her passion for education. Barnes led programs for young people in all facets of the church. She served in ministry alongside her husband, the late Bishop Jesse Barnes, and is now the Lead Pastor of Free Full Gospel Church.
Barnes received a bachelor’s in education from Newman University and a master’s from Wichita State University. She loves the Lord and her family. An accomplished singer and gourmet cook, she enjoys traveling, reading, and things of beauty. Barnes is the mother of three adult children, Dr. Jesse Brian Barnes, Ed.D. (Mary), Elder Mario Caleb Barnes (Keisha), and Dr. Prisca Nicole Barnes, Ed.D. She is the proud grandmother of one granddaughter, Isabella Grace, and one grandson, Caleb Jesse.
My name is Larry Bell, and my journey has been one of service, education, and impact. I began my college studies at Coffeyville Junior College before being drafted into the United States Army’s 101st Airborne Division. After my service, I returned to Wichita and earned two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Art and History from Friends University. My teaching career started at Nickerson High School with USD 309, and after moving back to Wichita, I spent 35 years shaping young minds at Brooks Junior High and Heights High School, retiring in 2007.
A defining moment in my career came when students began calling me “Daddy Bell” and embracing the phrase “True.” That was when I realized the influence I had as a Black male educator. Teaching history and art was more than a job—it was a mission to instill discipline, inspire creativity, and prepare young people for life’s challenges. More than a teacher, I became a mentor and role model, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to have served my students and community through education.
Dr. Anna Chandler began her formal education at the age of four in the Upstate/Piedmont region in South Carolina. At that time Black communities had to gather enough students to justify building a school. Determined to provide education for their children, the community recruited students of (or near) school age and established a three-room school for the primary grades. Her family later migrated to Washington, D.C. There, after excelling on the D. C. Public Schools Placement Examination, she was assigned to the fifth grade at the age of eight.
She graduated from high school at just 16 years old and went on to attend Howard University, earning her Bachelor of Art degree at 20. While at Howard, she majored in art and aspired to work for Walt Disney as a cartoon artist. However, in the 1950s, such opportunities were rarely afforded to women—especially Black women—so she instead pursued a career in education.
Dr. Chandler was recruited by the Pontiac, Michigan school board and became the school district’s first Black art teacher. After earning her master’s degree, she transitioned into administration, serving in leadership roles in the Pontiac and Benton Harbor Michigan, and Wichita, Kansas, school districts. Her expertise led to a recruitment opportunity at Wichita State University, where she became the chair of Ethnic Studies department and a tenured professor.
Passionate about teaching, Dr. Chandler remains a wealth of knowledge even in retirement. Ask her about any subject -especially Black history—and she will provide a deep, insightful lesson, tracing the subject’s origins through current events and explaining how history is intricately connected to the present. Quite a few of her former students keep in contact with her. She is truly loved, and these students truly appreciate her for the invaluable knowledge that she instilled in them. Dr. Anna Marie Dean Chandler currently resides with her daughter, Constance Chandler White and her son-in-law, Kevin White, in West Bloomfield, Michigan.
Deltha Q. Colvin, Associate Vice President for Student Affairs at Wichita State University (WSU), is a passionate advocate for underrepresented students. A first-generation college graduate, she joined the TRIO Upward Bound program 51 years ago and has since dedicated her career to helping others access higher education.
With over 45 years of experience, Colvin has served as director of the Wichita Prep Upward Bound Program and oversees several TRIO services at WSU, including Talent Search, Student Support Services, and the Ronald E. McNair Program. She also coordinates GEAR UP grants and programs for veterans and students with disabilities.
Colvin has held leadership roles in national and regional TRIO organizations, including as president of the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP). She has served on the US Department of Education’s TRIO ThinkQuest Advisory Committee and has been involved in the Microsoft TRIO Partnership since 1994.
A respected trainer and consultant, Colvin has contributed to TRIO proposal development and program management, supporting new directors and model programs across the country. She is also committed to the success of foster care students and those from low-income, first-generation backgrounds.
Colvin serves on multiple community boards and is a life member of the NAACP, Wichita State University Alumni Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Recognized for her leadership, she received the University Recognition Award from WSU in 2008.
Her lifelong dedication to educational equity continues to impact the lives of countless students.
Frankie Perkins is married to Leon, and together they have two children, Leon Jr. and Nikita, along with four granddaughters and six great-grandchildren. She is a retired educator with a distinguished 52-year career in education, including 35 years at Chisholm Trail Elementary School and 17 years as a guest Teacher impacting her community. She has dedicated her professional and personal life to the betterment of children. She willingly gives up her talent and time as she strives to influence and empower positive change in the lives of others.
Frankie Perkins is a graduate of Grambling State University with a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Education in Curriculum Instruction from Wichita State University. She was inducted into ‘Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers“ in 2009.
Frankie founded the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Birthday Celebration in the Wichita
schools over 35 years ago and organized the Books for Katrina initiative collecting 6,000 books in 2006 to restock school libraries impacted by Hurricane Katrina. Her dedication to service has earned her the NAACP Legacy Award, Sigma Gamma Rho Lifetime Achievement Award, Kansas African-American Museum Definition of Greatness Service Award and the ARISE Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Sheroes Award.
Linwood B. Sexton (1926-2017) graduated from the University of Wichita (BA in Education, 1948) and began his career at L’Ouverture Elementary School teaching sixth grade for four years. After an award-winning athletic career at East High and W.U. and playing professional football, he would have liked to have coached in a Wichita high school, but that was not an option for an African American in the 1950s.
Because teaching paid so little, Linwood worked two other jobs while teaching. When offered a job at Steffen’s Dairy (now Hiland Dairy), he began a 60-year career in sales that allowed him to perform significant community service, including as a member of the Kansas Board of Regents. He served as a mentor and friend to many people in all walks of life and worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for Blacks in Wichita.
Dr. Delia Shropshire was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland and is the youngest of nine children. She is the daughter of the late Jerome Roosevelt Shropshire, Sr. and Bernardine Isabel Shropshire-Armstrong. She is the current President of Holy Savior Catholic Academy and on the parish Leadership Team.
She relocated to Wichita from Baltimore, Maryland in August of 1998. She loves education and has earned two Bachelor’s Degrees, one from Loyola University in Maryland and the other from Friends University. She has a Masters in School Leadership from Friends University and a PhD in Educational Leadership from Capella University in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Dr Shropshire became a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. on March 17, 1984, Mu Psi Chapter at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD and a member of the Wichita Chapter of The Links, Inc in May 2014.
She previously was a teacher and administrator for St. Katharine Catholic School in Baltimore prior to relocating to Wichita. She has been in Wichita at Holy Savior Catholic Academy for 27 years. She has been in Catholic education for 33+ years. She believes that she has been called to serve the families of Northeast Wichita through Holy Savior Catholic Academy and her membership in community organizations.
She is the mother of seven (two biological and five adopted) and a cradle Catholic. All of her children are a product of Catholic education. They are Melvin, Sharron(shuh-ron), Brandon, Dorian, Lyle-Malik, Nubia, and Lori.. She has three grandchildren Tatum, Sidney, and Marley. Her grandson, Tatum is currently in the 7th grade at Holy Savior Catholic Academy.
Dr. Galyn Vesey’s journey is one of resilience, scholarship, and a commitment to justice. A graduate of the University of Wichita in 1955 with a degree in psychology, he furthered his education with a master’s in social work from the University of Oklahoma in 1961 and later earned his doctorate in policy planning and research from Syracuse University in 1994. His academic career led him to teach at Bethel College in Newton, Kansas, Utica College in New York, and the historic Alabama A&M, an HBCU committed to Black excellence.
Yet, beyond academia, Vesey’s impact on civil rights history is profound. As a member of the NAACP Youth Division, he was a key figure in the Dockum Sit-in, a groundbreaking act of peaceful resistance in August 1958—19 months before the more widely known Greensboro Sit-in. At a time when Black patrons were denied the right to sit at white lunch counters, Vesey and his fellow students challenged this injustice at Dockum Drug Store in Wichita, Kansas. Their perseverance forced change, marking a critical moment in the civil rights movement and laying the groundwork for future demonstrations.
Now retired, Vesey is dedicating his time to documenting this often-overlooked history in a forthcoming book on the Dockum Sit-in. He remains steadfast in his belief that no achievement is accomplished alone, recognizing the invaluable support of family, community, and those who came before him. His life’s work serves as a testament to the power of collective action, education, and the enduring fight for equality.
Dr. Galyn Vesey’s story is more than history—it is a lesson in courage, dedication, and the relentless pursuit of justice.
From an early age, Bernice Westbrook (neé Culler) knew that she was destined to be an educator. She accomplished this goal in 1972 after graduating from Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO with a Bachelor’s Elementary Education. She began her journey in the classroom as a 4th grade teacher in St. Louis, MO. She taught fourth grade in St. Louis from 1972 until 1981 and while teaching she worked to connect with her students and hone her craft in the classroom. During this time she also completed a Master’s in Counseling from Southern Illinois University- Edwardsville. This degree helped her better understand the children she worked with and how to best serve them.
In 1981, Bernice moved to Wichita Kansas, where she took a position teaching second grade at Enterprise Elementary. She taught at Enterprise until 1995 where she joined the small staff of the fairly new Bostic Traditional Magnet, and she taught second grade at Bostic until she retired in 2006.
No matter the city or school, Bernice worked tirelessly to cultivate in her students a desire to be kind, to learn, and to explore the world around them. Whether, student, parent, or staff, all who have encountered Mrs. Westbrook can attest to the passion and enthusiasm that she brought with her every day and the love they felt when entering her classroom.
Doris J. Wooden was born on May 4, 1931, in Leesburg, Texas and dedicated her life to education, faith, and service. A proud graduate of Douglas High School in Pittsburg, Texas, she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Jarvis Christian College in 1954. A year later, she married her high school sweetheart, Frank L. Wooden, and together, they devoted nearly 70 years to shaping young minds in the Wichita community.
Doris began her teaching career at L’Ouverture Elementary before spending the remainder of her 36-year tenure at Riverside Elementary, where she nurtured first and second graders with unwavering passion. Beyond the classroom, she was a dedicated Sunday school teacher at 11th Street Church of Christ and Chisholm Trail Church of Christ.
A quiet force of inspiration, she not only uplifted her students but also encouraged future educators, including last year’s Hall of Fame inductee, Samuel Allen. Today, we honor her enduring legacy. Thank you, Art That Touches Your Heart, for recognizing this extraordinary woman—my mother, Doris J. Wooden.
I worked with both Sandra Barnes and Jesse Adams. Congratulations to you both.
I’m excited to hear about this award.