P.L. Dunbar School

he son of former slaves Matilda Murphy and Joshua Dunbar. During his youth, Paul proved to be a good student in school, excelling in grammar, spelling and literature. The support of his parents, classmates and later sponsors, helped him to develop and refine his talents in those areas. Through Dunbar's writings and public readings, much of the life, soul and spirit of the black slavery and post-slavery experience are revealed. The hardships, joys and dignity of blacks in the South are communicated through Paul's unique style which focused on the dialect of former slaves. Although Paul Laurence Dunbar's life span was a short one, only 33 years, he made the most of it by writing hundreds of poems and short stories. His poor health may have limited his energies physically but it didn't prevent him from becoming a contributor to American literature.