Born to former slaves in Dayton, Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the first and most influential Black writers in American history. Showing promise from an early age, Dunbar published poems in various Dayton-area publications, including the Dayton Tattler, which was published by Orville Wright, another famous Daytonian, who along with his brother Wilbur is considered one of the inventors of the airplane.
A champion of Black life at the turn of the 19th century, Dunbar’s poetry and other writing centered both the struggle and success of his colleagues, and he published poetry collections in standard English and dialect, short story collections, and a novel The Uncalled.
Dunbar’s legacy lives on in Dayton and abroad, including at his house which is a state historical site.
Fun fact: Maya Angelou took a line from Dunbar’s poem Sympathy to title her most famous work, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.