The city of Galveston unveils the McGuire Dent sculpture from Solel International
Solel International
Jul 1, 2022
Galveston, Texas is a place of rich history and culture. It's no wonder that the city has so many historical statues to honor its heroes!
But when artist Danny Asberry El learned about Jessie McGuire Dent and her father, he knew he wanted to do something special for this community. So he created an 8-foot, 3D sculpture honoring Jessie McGuire Dent, an African American educator and community activist from Galveston.
It was presented to the city Friday at the recreation center — 2222 28th St. — named for her and her father. It is the first historic female statue in the city of Galveston.
In the late 19th century and early 20th century, Galveston was a segregated city. The public schools were racially segregated, and African-American teachers were paid less than their white counterparts. In 1943, Jessie May McGuire Dent won a lawsuit against the Galveston School Board of Trustees to end the practice of unequal pay for teachers based on their race.
Jessie May McGuire was born in Galveston in 1892 to Robert McGuire and Alberta (Mabson) McGuire. Her father was a police officer, and the family lived at 2720 Avenue R. She attended Central High School, the first high school for African Americans in the state of Texas (established in 1885 in Galveston). After graduating in 1909, she enrolled at Howard University in Washington, D.C., where she joined Alpha Kappa Alpha—the first sorority for African-American women. When members of AKA had an internal dispute over participation in the Suffragette Movement on campus, a separate sorority—Delta Sigma Theta—was created. Jessie McGuire was one of its founding members
After graduating from Howard University, Jessie McGuire returned to Galveston and was hired to teach English and Latin at Central High School in 1913. She married Galveston attorney Thomas Dent in 1924, but the couple divorced in 1934.
Dent continued to serve as Dean of Girls for Central High while also participating in various community groups including the Colored Unit of the Women’s Christian Temperance League, the N.A.A.C.P., and the Federation of Colored Women’s Clubs.
Tragically, her son Thomas Dent Jr. died in 1940 while she was serving as a member of the Texas Commission on Democracy in Education (TCDE). Despite this devastating loss, Dent maintained an active leadership role in the TCDE until its dissolution on December 31st, 1945. Her goal was to promote equality for African-American teachers and schools in terms of salaries, funding, course quality, administrative positions, and accreditation.