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Paul Laurence Dunbar

Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of Paul Laurence Dunbar’s Birth

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On June 27th of 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio. For this special Dunbar 150 milestone event, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park along with numerous community partners will honor Dunbar, showcase his contributions to poetry, the arts, music, dance and culture.
Saturday, June 25, 5pm  – Dunbar Sesquicentennial Celebration at the historic Victoria Theatre. Dr. Gene Andrew Jarrett, keynote speaker and author of Paul Laurence Dunbar: The Life and Times of a Caged Bird, will be featured in the celebration along with an entire Dunbar community of entertainers and performers. Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin, Ms. Laverne Sci, Ted Lange, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, University of Dayton Department of Music, the Tuskegee University Golden Voices Choir, and other special guests will come together for ensemble performances of his masterful work and moving compositions.
 Tickets are just $10 for this 2 and 1/2 hour event featuring poetry, music and dance.
Sunday, June 26 – Paul Laurence Dunbar Birthday Party at the Dunbar House – 1:00 pm– 4:00 pm. Learn more: https://fb.me/e/1uYL9tSGn
Sunday, June 26 – Wright-Dunbar Day neighborhood party – 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm in the neighborhood around the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center – 16 S. Williams St. Learn more:
There is also an exhibition inspired by Dunbar’s life and work on display at The Dayton Art Institute now through September 4 (and admission will be free on Sunday, June 26)! This Focus Exhibition showcases artists’ responses to Dunbar, his life and work. It is part of the Dayton and state-wide “Dunbar150 Project,” through which multiple organizations will help shine a light on Dunbar’s literary contributions and help tell the story of his life and legacy.

Paul Laurence Dunbar Sesquicentennial (150th) Flagship Event Announced

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On June 27th of 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar was born in Dayton, Ohio. For this special Dunbar 150 year milestone the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park along with numerous community partners will honor him by showcasing his contributions to poetry, the arts, music, dance and culture.

The commemorative “Dunbar 150” flagship event will be held on the evening of Saturday, June 25, 2022, from 5-7pm at the Victoria Theatre, and will feature recitations of Dunbar’s works by several world-renowned poets, spoken word performances, musical selections, and more! Tickets are on sale now for just $6-10 and can be purchased here.

Honored Guests include Nikki Giovanni, a prominent literary figure, and activist who has experienced longevity in her career as a prolific poet, speaker, and contributor to the literary arts, along with an entire Dunbar community of entertainers and performers. These include, Dr. Herbert Woodward Martin, Ms. Laverne Sci, Ted Lange, Dayton Contemporary Dance Company, University of Dayton Department of Music, the Tuskegee University Golden Voices Choir, and other special guests will come together for ensemble performances of his masterful work and moving compositions.

National Historical Park is in a unique position to bring national prominence and 21st century schools and community organizations including the Ohio History Connection (OHC), the National Aviation Heritage Alliance (NAHA), Planned2Give, Woodland Cemetery, the University of Dayton, Dayton Live, the Paul Laurence Dunbar branch of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH), the Wright-Dunbar Neighborhood Association, and the National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center in Wilberforce, Ohio.

“Community engagement has been a key part of the process throughout this multi-year celebration. Paul Laurence Dunbar’s giftings have created a lasting impact on people. His words have maintained relevance and have inspired generations of people to use their voice. Through the act of coming together and supporting the expression of creativity sparked by Dayton native Dunbar, we celebrate,”says Park Ranger and Dunbar 150 Project Manager, Angela Stewart.

Donations can be made to the Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site via the web.

 

Walking Tours of Dayton’s Historic Neighborhoods 

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A series of self-guided walking tours in the 10 historically-zoned district areas in Dayton are now available courtesy of Preservation Dayton, Inc. The walking tours highlight architectural and historical features of each area.

“Each tour highlights the unique architectural heritage of the area and the citizens who helped Dayton thrive through the centuries,” said Monica Snow, the organization’s president. “The leisurely designed walks allow ample time to pause and appreciate the architecture, the streetscape, and the amenities of each area.”

The Daniel G. Fitch House, a Greek Revival home on South Williams Street in the Wright-Dunbar Historic District, was built around 1856 and is one of Dayton’s oldest homes. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Made possible by a $3,500 grant from the City of Dayton, 12 volunteers devoted more than 400 hours to create the web-based tours.  PDI developed the first printed tour guides in 1994 with a grant from the Montgomery County Arts and Cultural District.

This Victorian Italianate home on Linden Avenue in the Huffman Historic District was built for Charles P. Huffman, founder of the Huffy Bicycle Company. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Easy downloadable audio and print formats with photos and Google maps are provided online at https://www.preservationdayton.com/walking_tours.html. Free tours are available for the following historic neighborhoods: Dayton View, Five Oaks Squirrel Forest, Grafton Hill, Huffman, McPherson Town, Paul Laurence Dunbar, South Park, St. Anne’s Hill, West Third Street and Wright-Dunbar Village.

Russell H. Bates, a partner in D.L. Bates and Brothers, a manufacturing company, built this home on Grand Avenue in the Dayton View Historic District around 1900. At the time this Free Classic Queen Anne cost $10,048.21. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

Originally founded in 1983 as the Dayton Area Coalition of Historic Neighborhoods, Preservation Dayton is a non-profit corporation that promotes the restoration, renovation, and rehabilitation of historic structures and settings as economically viable activities and enhancements to the public welfare.

This Colonial Revival house on Belmonte Park in the Grafton Hill Historic District was built in 1931 for Judge T.A. Ferreding. The stone wall came from an early 1800s barn on the family homestead, the site of the former Salem Mall. Photo courtesy of Andy Snow.

 

Contributions to PDI’s Endangered Property Fund can be made online at preservationdayton.com/endangered or by check made payable to Preservation Dayton, Inc. Fund #8630 and mailed to Preservation Dayton, P.O. Box 3614 Dayton, OH 45401.

 

A Walk Through the Cemetery is Just What You Need!

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We are living in strange times these days. Viruses are named after birds, pigs and now beer. New words for the dictionary will be added by the end of the year: “self-quarantining” and “social distancing.” Fake news. Real news. Wash your hands. And the hoarding of toilet paper! Bars and restaurants closed. Libraries and casinos closed. Strange times indeed.

There are things to do and places you can go that will allow you to be socially distanced from others yet enjoy the beauty of emerging spring. Visit the cemetery! Yes! We’re serious, visit the cemetery.  Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is an open air museum that will delight you with the the visuals of greening grass and emerging flowers. We’ve seen the crocus bloom and the daffodils should be fluttering forth very soon.

If you’ve never been to Woodland  Cemetery and Arboretum you just might be amazed with all of the architectural wonders and beautiful sculptures throughout the grounds. There are over 110,000 people buried at Woodland and nearly 100,000 markers and monuments ranging from rugged boulders, left here from the glaciers, to Greek statues and temples. You’ll see a full sized dog, angels and trumpeters and lambs, crosses and flowers all made of cut stone.

There are unique poems and stories etched into the stones and symbols of death from a long ago era. What’s more is that you can learn about the history of Dayton’s citizens through one of the virtual tours offered by the cemetery’s mobile app. There are three tours you can walk, drive or sit on your couch and attend. A free downloadable app is available from the cemetery’s website at woodlandcemetery.org or click here to go straight to the app site.

The Historic Tour features several of the buildings and notable residents at Woodland. This tour offers an audio feature where you sit back and listen to the narrative. There is also the Dayton’s Walk of Fame Tour and the Celebrated African -Americans at Woodland Cemetery Tour. Give it a try and learn about a few of the men and women who made it Great’n Dayton.

If going to the cemetery, there are over 200 verdant acres of rolling hills and 9 miles of paved roads. Truly a much better workout than you can get at the gym. There are at least nine remaining trees designated as “Ohio Champions.” How fun would it be to find them all. You can stop at the front office and get free brochures of several walking tours or purchase a booklet that features both walking tour and historical bios on each of the people on the tour. Bring a picnic and sit down by the pond. Dogs, bring your humans and get them off the couch. And definitely bring your camera to take in the view and a photo of the beautiful “Gem City.”

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum sits in the heart of downtown Dayton on over 200 verdant acres of rolling hills with over 3000 tress on the property. This historic cemetery, founded in 1841, welcomes thousands of visitors who tour the grounds each year to visit the grave sites of inventors of powered flight, Wilbur and Orville Wright; poet Paul Laurence Dunbar; Matilda and Levi Stanley, Queen and King of the Gypsies; writer Erma Bombeck; inventor Charles F. Kettering; and entrepreneurs John H. Patterson (NCR); George P. Huffman (Huffy Bicycles); and George Mead (Mead Paper Co.).

He Had His Dream: A Celebration of Paul Laurence Dunbar

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Paul Laurence Dunbar died more than 110 years ago, yet he remains one of Dayton’s most celebrated citizens. Karen D. Brame discusses his life, friendships and legacy in her program, “He Had His Dream: A Celebration of Paul Laurence Dunbar” at three Dayton Metro Library locations:

 

Thurs, Sept. 28, 4-5:30 pm MAIN LIBRARY Conference Room 1B, 215 E. Third St.

Sat, Oct. 14, 11am-12:30pm BROOKVILLE Branch, 120 Blue Pride Dr.

Sat, Oct. 28, 11am-12:30 pm NEW LEBANON Branch, 715 W Main St.

Dunbar was the first African-American poet to be nationally recognized for his work.

“Audiences today need to learn of and celebrate the depth and breadth Paul Laurence Dunbar created in his art, especially regarding the diversity of Black cultural life,” says Ms. Brame. “Although he would write 12 books of poetry, he was greater than simply a poet. In his brief life, which spanned 33 years, Dunbar authored articles in international publications, four novels, four collections of short stories, lyrics for a musical, and a play!”

Ms. Brame is an adjunct professor of Humanities, Government and Modern Languages at Sinclair Community College, and adjunct professor of Education, Humanities and Arts & Social Sciences at Central State University. She specializies in work regarding the African American experience, from its origins in Africa to present-day experiences in the United States.

The Library programs are free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Events Calendar at DaytonMetroLibrary.org or call (937) 463-2665.

 

Luminaries of Dayton: Leaving Pennies on a Grave

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There are many traditions that involve placing objects, specifically money, on graves. These traditions  are usually regional or customary practices and do not necessarily have religious connotations.

Large amounts of pennies which are thrown onto Benjamin Franklin’s grave by visitors each day are a symbol of good luck, and a nod to Franklin’s motto that “a penny saved is a penny earned.”

Some people hold to the tradition of leaving something of yourself when visiting a grave. If nothing else, a coin from your pocket serves as a marker of the passage and your esteem for the departed. It also signifies to any that pass by that the grave was visited and that the deceased is well loved and esteemed and has not been abandoned or forgotten. Coins are also an older form of leaving flowers, a practice prompted by the heavy Romanticism of the Victorian era.

Some believe that to leave a coin on a grave brings good luck. Students in some areas are known to leave pennies on the graves of their school’s founder in the hopes of good luck with exams.

Some are, perhaps unwittingly, mimicking the ancient tradition where gold coins were buried with the corpse in order to pay the toll charged by Charon, the boatman of the Underworld, for passage to the other side of the river Styx. It was considered sinful not to leave this toll with the dead as it would condemn them to forever wander the shores without end.

It is an old tradition to leave a penny at the grave site of a loved one as a gesture of deep love and understanding. Some coins have distinct meanings when left on the headstones of those who gave their life while serving in America’s military, and these meanings vary depending on the denomination of coin.

A coin left on a tombstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect.

Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited. A nickel indicates that you and the deceased trained at boot camp together, while a dime means you served with him in some capacity. By leaving a quarter at the grave, you are telling the family that you were with the solider when he was killed.

In the United States, this practice became common during the Vietnam War, due to the political divide in the country over the war; leaving a coin was seen as a more practical way to communicate that you had visited the grave than contacting the soldier’s family, which could devolve into an uncomfortable argument over politics relating to the war.

No matter what type of item you leave at a grave site, it is seen by others that the person is not forgotten.

At Woodland Cemetery, you will find that the grave sites of the Wright Brothers and Paul Laurence Dunbar receives the most coins. The coins are picked up periodically and are deposited to the Woodland Arboretum Foundation to care for the grounds and gardens of the cemetery.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the University of Dayton Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum website.

Luminaries of Dayton: Paul Laurence Dunbar Window

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Dunbar’s Willow Window

This window depicts the words written in the Negro dialect associated with the antebellum South by Dayton poet and author, Paul Laurence Dunbar, in the poem A Death Song published in 1913. You can also find the poem on the bronze plaque at his grave site in Section 101.

Lay me nigh to whah ’hit makes a little pool
 An’ de watah stans’ so quiet ‘lak un’ cool
 An’ de little birdies in de’ spring
 Ust come an’ drink an’ sing
 An’ de chillun waded on dey way tu’ school

You are invited to visit the Mausoleum to view all of the beautiful stained glass windows within at your leisure or join us for a guided tour on Thursday’s June 8, July 13, August 10, September 7 or October 5 at 9:00 a.m. Please RSVP to 937-228-3221.

The Mausoleum is open daily from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Woodland Cemetery, founded in 1841, is one of the nation’s five oldest rural garden cemeteries and a unique cultural, botanical and educational resource in the heart of Dayton, Ohio as you will see as you read through this new MostMetro.com series. Visit the cemetery and arboretum and take one of the many tours Woodland offers free of charge. Most of Dayton’s aviation heroes, inventors and business barons are buried at Woodland.

Woodland Cemetery and Arboretum is located at 118 Woodland Avenue off of Brown Street near the UD Campus. The Woodland Office is open Monday through Friday 8 am to 5 pm and Saturday 8 am to 12 pm. The Cemetery and Arboretum are open daily from 8 am to 6 pm. The Mausoleum is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm. For more information, call 937-228-3221 or visit the Woodland website.

Be a Part of Paul Laurence Dunbar History

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Too often those of us in Dayton don’t look around and see the history, architecture, community and passion that outsiders see. For these reasons, and many more, the Dayton region is attractive to filmmakers, artists and storytellers. Over the past few years, a filmmaker has been working quietly in Dayton, across the state, and in places around the country to tell the story of local poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. This month, a great opportunity is coming up for community members from the Miami Valley to be a part of this project.  In order to learn more, I asked filmmaker Frederick Lewis some questions on this project and his experience.

Can you talk about your history with Paul Laurence Dunbar and what drew you to focus your scholarship on him?

I am co-producing this documentary with Professor Joseph Slade, a colleague in the School of Media Arts & Studies. We have been working on it for several years and are now nearing completion. We hope to complete the project within the next 12 months. Our intended audience is PBS. Two of my previous documentaries have aired widely on PBS stations around the country and screened at many museums and universities.

What trips have you made to Dayton and what have you learned since launching this project?

We have made repeated trips to Dayton over the last three years, and conducted interviews with local Dunbar experts Laverne Sci, Herbert Martin, and Bing Davis. We’ve also conducted interviews with Dunbar biographer Felton Best, a distinguished professor at Central Connecticut State, and author Akasha Hull, who has written extensively on Dunbar’s relationship with his wife, Alice.

Can you discuss your history with this project and how it’s grown?

Interier of Old Courthouse taken from the Visitor's Galley looking down (from Montgomery Co. Collection at Dayton Metro Library)

We plan to interweave the biographical elements of Dunbars’ prolific, but tragically short life, with contemporary links to show his continued relevance. We followed the creation of Bing Davis’ sculpture inspired by Dunbar’s “Negro Love Song,” and James Pate’s new mural which prominently features images of Dunbar. We also recently completed a segment on how Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, Kentucky honors their school’s namesake.

Why should a person want to be a part of the shoot on Sunday?

The music video we will be shooting on May 13th will also be woven into the documentary. Inspired by a canvas by Dayton painter James Pate, in which Dunbar is portrayed as a contemporary hip hop artist, we have taken Dunbar’s famous poem “We Wear the Mask,” and had Ohio University student Jean P, a fast rising hip hop performer, put Dunbar’s words to music. The video will feature a myriad of masks created by Dayton’s own Tristan Cupp of Zoot Theatre Co. We have rented the old Montgomery Court House for a scene to be shot on May 13th between 5–7 pm and we need as many extras as possible to help us out. Please dress in contemporary clothing suitable for attendance at a trial. Yes, it is Mother’s Day. Just bring your mother with you! Give her a cameo in a music video for Mother’s Day:) We ALSO need 8 or 10 people earlier in the day to act in several scenes to be shot in downtown Dayton. If you are interested in that aspect of the production please let us know asap!!

How to go:

When: Sunday, May 13, 5-7 PM (time slots available earlier in the day as well)

Where: Old Courthouse in Downtown Dayton on Courthouse Square (5PM Session)

Clothing: Contemporary clothes you have in your closet! You’ll dress in business clothing – something appropriate for a trial (jackets, ties, skirts, etc).

How: Email Frederick Lewis to express your interest and learn more: lewisf@ohio.edu