Thomas Covington Dent (March 20, 1932 – June 6, 1998) was an African-American poet and writer.

Early life and education

Thomas Dent was born on March 20, 1932, in New Orleans, Louisiana, to Albert W. Dent, president of Dillard University, and Ernestine Jessie Covington Dent, a concert pianist. He was the oldest of three sons.

Although his mother and father were prominent societal members, they were not the only members of his family who were influential in the African American community. His grandfather, Dr. Jesse Covington, worked extensively in the Negro Business League to promote the economic venues and advancements for African Americans. He also did work in the medical field and helped build the first medical center for African Americans in Houston, the Riverside General Hospital.

His grandmother, Belle Covington, is recognized for her efforts to prompt interracial relations. Furthermore, she was instrumental in the creation of the Blue Triangle YWCA. Through this organization, Belle was able to develop social programs to support the African American community as well as advocate against white mob violence. On top of these achievements, she also advocated heavily for Dent’s education and schooling. Dent’s upbringing in this prominent African American family allowed for him to be educated at both private and public schools.^[1] Ultimately, he graduated from a Black college preparatory school in New Orleans, Gilbert Academy, in 1947.

Collegiate Career

After graduating from Gilbert Academy in 1947, Dent decided not to attend Dillard University where his father was president, and instead chose to attend Morehouse College in Atlanta. Coming from such a prominent family, Dent was socially reflective and aware of the situations around him. His choice to attend Morehouse was a direct consequence of his efforts at cultivating his strengths to benefit his future work in the Civil Rights Movement.^[2]

While at Morehouse, Dent worked with the school's newspaper, the Maroon Tiger, and during his senior year became the editor-in-chief. Early on during his tenure as the editor-in-chief, it was evident that his social awareness allowed him to see reality for what it truly was and showcased his understanding of a complex system of playfulness.^[2] He was able to dabble into the larger issues at hand, while also keeping the playful tone that became a prominent element in his later writings.

Some of the editorials that Dent produced while working with the Maroon Tiger include "Who Is To Blame? For Fixes and Scandals," "Danger! For Students in Philosophy Only," "Younger Generation Sad Representative of American Youth," "When Professors Object We Must Always Yield," and "The Summing Up and Moving On." Each of these editorials focused on a different issue that was present in society. For example, in "Who Is To Blame? For Fixes and Scandals" Dent discussed the expulsion of ninety West Point cadets for cheating on exams. Dent touched upon the idea that these athletes were not solely to blame for their academic misconduct. The blame should instead be place on the institutions that promote athletic ability over academic honesty and prowess. In "Danger! For Students in Philosophy Only," Dent switches gears to discuss how dangerous it is to ask certain question in a campus class taught by Sam Williams. In Dent's major editorial, "Younger Generation Sad Representative of American Youth," he agreed with a Time article that his generation was complacent and had a large sense of apathy. Dent argues this is a bad thing because his generation makes no attempt to leave behind the confusion of the times. In "When Professors Object We Must Always Yield," made light of Professor N.P. Tillman and his anger over lines from Tillman's poem being quoted without citation in a 1917 edition of the Maroon Tiger. In Dent's last editorial, "The Summing Up and Moving On," he called for more support across the entire college for extracurricular activities. He also argued that "education is a broad process, and that by refusing to cooperate with other activities that students are interested in beside their assignments they [the faculty] are failing to fully educate."^[2]

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