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“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
Ten words that Phyllis Bass uses as a motto for children in the Richard Allen Cultural Center and Museum’s tutoring program. But 10 words that also describe her attitude toward working in the Leavenworth community pretty well.
Since arriving in Leavenworth in 1984, Bass has helped with efforts to land a national monument to the Buffalo Soldier regiments on Fort Leavenworth and establish the Richard Allen Cultural Center and museum of African-American history that she has served as the director of since its opening in 1992.
One after another, people from the community recognized her for those accomplishments through speeches, music, poetry and dance during a ceremony Saturday at Independent Baptist Church organized by Churches United for Our Youth. But she was more importantly recognized for the work she does that Leavenworth Mayor Larry Dedeke said doesn’t result in brick and mortar — the yearround tutoring program for Leavenworth area students that began 10 years ago and the other programs and workshops at the center.
Tahji Pinch said he learned a lot from both the tutoring program and the summer programs at Richard Allen — in addition to help with academic work, he said he found out about his own heritage as part of the oldest documented African-American family in Leavenworth.
“Miss Bass immediately took me under wing,” when he began the tutoring sessions, he said.
Bass said the motivation for all the things she does is simple.
“You do things because you want to do them, because you love the people you are around,” she said.
A passion for education of young people is something that one of Bass’ sons, Dr. Elliott Bass, said goes back many years, at least to he and his two brothers’ upbringing.
“She would always say ‘I don’t care what you do, you’re going to school,’” he said.
Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander Col. Wayne Green said in that mission, she has enlisted help from military students from the Command and General Staff College, who tutor the young students during the evening.
Green said Bass “leads those who lead,” coaching the officers to give their time as mentors in that program. So don’t be fooled by her short stature, he said.
“For those of us that know her, it didn’t take very long to know that I was in the presence of a giant,” he said of first meeting Bass.
“If it is to be, it is up to me.”
Ten words that Phyllis Bass uses as a motto for children in the Richard Allen Cultural Center and Museum’s tutoring program. But 10 words that also describe her attitude toward working in the Leavenworth community pretty well.
Since arriving in Leavenworth in 1984, Bass has helped with efforts to land a national monument to the Buffalo Soldier regiments on Fort Leavenworth and establish the Richard Allen Cultural Center and museum of African-American history that she has served as the director of since its opening in 1992.
One after another, people from the community recognized her for those accomplishments through speeches, music, poetry and dance during a ceremony Saturday at Independent Baptist Church organized by Churches United for Our Youth. But she was more importantly recognized for the work she does that Leavenworth Mayor Larry Dedeke said doesn’t result in brick and mortar — the yearround tutoring program for Leavenworth area students that began 10 years ago and the other programs and workshops at the center.
Tahji Pinch said he learned a lot from both the tutoring program and the summer programs at Richard Allen — in addition to help with academic work, he said he found out about his own heritage as part of the oldest documented African-American family in Leavenworth.
“Miss Bass immediately took me under wing,” when he began the tutoring sessions, he said.
Bass said the motivation for all the things she does is simple.
“You do things because you want to do them, because you love the people you are around,” she said.
A passion for education of young people is something that one of Bass’ sons, Dr. Elliott Bass, said goes back many years, at least to he and his two brothers’ upbringing.
“She would always say ‘I don’t care what you do, you’re going to school,’” he said.
Fort Leavenworth Garrison Commander Col. Wayne Green said in that mission, she has enlisted help from military students from the Command and General Staff College, who tutor the young students during the evening.
Green said Bass “leads those who lead,” coaching the officers to give their time as mentors in that program. So don’t be fooled by her short stature, he said.
“For those of us that know her, it didn’t take very long to know that I was in the presence of a giant,” he said of first meeting Bass.
Retired Navy Cmdr. Carlton Philpot, who worked with Bass and others to establish the Buffalo Soldier Monument on the fort, said honoring his longtime friend during Black History Month was only fitting, comparing her to other famed African-American women Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks.
“Through those tutoring programs, Mrs. Bass has given dreams to young people, and young people have had dreams realized,” he said.
In return for what she has given the community, Bass received some gifts in return Saturday. First, the Rev. Kenneth Neal of Pentecostal Church of Apostolic Faith told Bass and the audience of a donation to the Richard Allen center’s collection of artifacts from the African-American history of the Leavenworth area. It was a copy of an 1878 letter to Blanche Kelso Bruce, the first elected African-American U.S. senator, from his father James.
Neal also said the Sumner School, the first all-black school in the nation to have received federal funding, was scheduled to be designated an historic place and future public programs were being planned for the site. The school’s longtime principal and nephew of Senator Bruce, Blanche Ketene Bruce, was the first African-American graduate from the University of Kansas. Like Bass, Blanche Ketene Bruce seemed to realize the importance of tutoring programs — according to the Kansas State Historical Society, he is said to have tutored about 1,800 young men hoping to enter the military academies at Annapolis and West Point, including, reportedly, future President Dwight Eisenhower.
The Rev. James Lambert, pastor of the Independent Baptist Church, also gave Bass an $800 love offering for the Richard Allen Cultural Center, while Bass herself was presented a plaque for outstanding service from Churches United for Our Youth.
“The one thing I’ve always admired about you was your desire to make us a better people,” Lambert said.
And Green had his own gift. As per one of the “tasks” given to him by Bass, he said the site of a heavy artillery battery west of the national cemetery on Fort Leavenworth established by Capt. Henry Douglas, leader of what is believed to be the Army’s first all-black unit, recently qualified for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places.
Finally Dedeke, who said that Bass is a “leader, she’s not a follower,” proclaimed Feb. 19 “Phyllis Bass Day” in the city.
Bass told the audience after the presentations that she was humbled by the attention.
“I’m just overwhelmed by what has been done today, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said. “And I want you to know that all of you — I don’t care what color you are or anything — I love everybody.”
