Jessie Parkhurst Guzman House
Located near the campus of Tuskegee University, this brick two-story Cape Cod style house was home to Civil Rights activist Jessie P. Guzman and her husband Dr. Ignacio Guzman. Now, the Tuskegee University Local Alumni Club occupies this 1,500 square foot historic house.
Jessie P. Guzman: Author, Archivist, Activist
As Director of the Department of Records and Research at Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University), Jessie P. Guzman preserved and documented Black history, but she did not shy away from making history herself.
Guzman spent most of her life as an active member of the Tuskegee Civic Association (TCA). The TCA fought tirelessly for Blacks in Macon County (and all over the USA) to enjoy equal access to economic, political, and social opportunities as their white counterparts - especially equal voting rights.
In 1956, Jessie P. Guzman ran for a seat on the Macon County Board of Education. She was the first woman of color to seek elected office in the state of Alabama and the first Black person to run for office in Alabama since Reconstruction. Although she did not win the election, her candidacy signaled to the white power structure of Tuskegee that its Black citizens were ready to seek office and vote for candidates who would do right by them.
To learn more about the life and work of Jessie P. Guzman, visit Driving Through History - another project of the Tuskegee History Center.
Images:
Top left: Portrait of Jessie Parkhurst Guzman, The Tuskegee University Archives, Tuskegee University.
Top center: Jessie P. Guzman House, Tuskegee History Center.
Top right: Jessie Parkhurst Guzman seated at a desk, c. 1940, The Tuskegee University Archives, Tuskegee University.
Left: Jessie P. Guzman as pictured on a program announcement by Zeta Phi Beta Sorority for the Woman of the Year Banquet, 1950. The Tuskegee University Archives, Tuskegee University.