Paul Laurence Dunbar
Mother Matilda Dunbar
Mother Matilda Dunbar
1872-1906
Dayton, Ohio
Dunbar was born free to ex-enslaved Africans, Matilda and Joshua Dunbar. He was a prolific poet, short story writer, novelist, writer of articles, dramatic sketches, newspaper editor, and wrote plays and lyrics for musical compositions.
Motivated by his parents storytelling and various European poets, he created poe
1872-1906
Dayton, Ohio
Dunbar was born free to ex-enslaved Africans, Matilda and Joshua Dunbar. He was a prolific poet, short story writer, novelist, writer of articles, dramatic sketches, newspaper editor, and wrote plays and lyrics for musical compositions.
Motivated by his parents storytelling and various European poets, he created poetry in northern English dialect about life, love, nature, people he knew, the injustices of slavery and on race relations in his day.
His highly skilled and graceful use of southern dialect poetry was very popular for its humble, yet proud wisdom and philosophy on human nature.
Beyond his literary achievements, Dunbar dispelled the myth that Africans in America were unable to be educated. He was also mentored and hailed by Frederick Douglas as the most promising poet of his day and the "Poet Laureate of the Negro race."
Mother Matilda Dunbar
Mother Matilda Dunbar
Mother Matilda Dunbar
Controversial and thought-provoking, he often praised African-Americans, rather than attack Europeans, in much of his work.
Dunbar was a forerunner to the Harlem Renaissance era in American Literature and he motivated writers like James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston to compose in the language of ordinary folk.
Controversial and thought-provoking, he often praised African-Americans, rather than attack Europeans, in much of his work.
Dunbar was a forerunner to the Harlem Renaissance era in American Literature and he motivated writers like James Weldon Johnson, Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston to compose in the language of ordinary folk.
Dunbar is recognized as the fore father and first free man of color to self-publish and read his works in public. Dunbar was also one of the first American poets to make a considerable living from his appearances in the US and England.
In the opinion of Oni Lasana, "Dunbar is to America what Shakespeare is to English literature and he is the GREAT GRANDFATHER of the spoken word movement...no doubt!"
Oni gives thanks to Bob Jones of The Coatesville Cultural Society (RIP) for educating and mentoring her on Dunbar's works.
Alice Ruth Dunbar
Mother Matilda Dunbar
Alice Ruth Dunbar
Dunbar married author, writer, poet and activist for woman rights, Alice Ruth Dunbar of New Orleans. They lived in Washington D.C. while he was employed at the Library of Congress. They had no children.
Maya Angelou, one of many writers and poet he influenced, titled her autobiography "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" from the opening li
Dunbar married author, writer, poet and activist for woman rights, Alice Ruth Dunbar of New Orleans. They lived in Washington D.C. while he was employed at the Library of Congress. They had no children.
Maya Angelou, one of many writers and poet he influenced, titled her autobiography "I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings" from the opening line of his most popular poem, Sympathy.
Sympathy is included in the finale of "Doin' Dunbar as 'Lias' Mother" program as a "rap along" with audience participation. It is also a featured poem taught to students in the Brother Dunbar Performance Workshop.
Dunbar gained international attention before his death from tuberculosis at the age of 33. Many schools and public buildings are named in his honor.
His portrait was the first African American to be featured on the US Postage stamp. Paul Laurence Dunbar's home stands as an historic state landmark and museum in Dayton, Ohio.
It's your turn to learn!
Recent Program
.KEEP A-PLUGGIN' AWAY - PT 1
Dunbar's self-motivational poem Keep A-Pluggin' Away is our theme. Meet the people in Paul's life who knew and loved him.
Love Of Dunbar Monthly
You are invited to our free MONTHLY meetup on zoom where we research, discuss and perform Dunbar's life, his southern and northern prose and short stories.
These literary gems hold themes of timeless love, nature, pathos and laughter.
Freestylin' Dunbar Weekly
Freestylin' Dunbar Weekly
Beginning January 16, 202 Join us for this FREE WEEKLY workshop on Zoom for educators to creatively teach, artists to perform and adventurers of literature to explore.
You'll learn new techniques on delivering, reading and presenting Dunbar's spoken words.
Based on the Dunbar workshop, A Poetic Approach To Storytelling on p. 289 of Literacy Development in The Storytelling Classroom published in Libraries Unlimited.
Find and bring a poem of your choice: PaulLaurenceDunbar.org
Doin' Dunbar Workshop & Performance
Interactive workshop focuses on the life of Paul L. Dunbar and his use of German, Irish, Standard and dialect English.
Photo: Featuring Timi Tanzania as Elias
with students of Virginia Tech University
CD of 20 Dunbar poems
Featuring Dunbar's most beloved southern dialect poems; In The Morning, When Dey 'Listed Colored Soldiers, The Party, When Malindy Sings, Angelina and more.
A Literary & History collectors item.
With a fellow Dunbarian
Oni with storytellers, Jean "Omuwuma" Moss, Sister Kwanzaa and Mitch "Grand Daddy" Capel, a fellow "Dunbarian" who is Dunbar's voice at his museum in Ohio.
Enjoying the National Association of Black Storytellers Conference & Festival, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 2016
Oni's Diary ~ Muse : considering something thoughtfully
2nd Freestylin' Paul Laurence Dunbar Meetup
2nd Freestylin’ Dunbar Jan 23. 2025
Lifeline: Thursday : Freestylin' Dunbar was lit one mo' gain. Peadar was on as usual, all the way from Ireland. We chatted about the badness going on in the world. Just when we were going to shut down the meeting for lack of attendance Viveca pops in! Beep...beep my phone....Nashid on WhatsApp will enter the village at 7:30, Donna Marie of Love Of Dunbar residing in Ohio shows up. Howdy, Honey, Howdy!
When I first fell in love with Paul Laurence Dunbar poems back in the early 90's I arranged 10 of Dunbar's southern and northern poems to music. So I introduced a segment of the children's workshop (c) 1998, described, and showed the students handout, two poems with glossary, bio on Dunbar for the 2nd grade/middle school session of the Brother Dunbar Poetry & Performance workshop. A description of the workshop is published in Literacy Development in The Storytelling Classroom on Libraries Unlimited.
However, the book doesn't offer details on the music and how to fully implement the flow. You will only receive this wonderful information in Freestylin' Dunbar.
Moving on....Peadar & Viveca and I, took turns reciting the southern choral poem, Winters Approach we discussed the full meaning and theatrical playfulness to present and teach students. We took a breather.
I mentioned Melanie from last week who's working on an adaptation of his poetry as a play featuring When Dey’ Listed Colored Soldiers and The Rivals. Well, Peadar and Viveca were not familiar with The Rivals, written in the voice of a man, so we waited for Nashid to come on to read it for us. When Dey 'Listed and The Rivals are classic challenging southern poetic storytelling.
Then the one and only Dunbarian! Dylan "Viney's Papers" Pritchett of The National Association of Black Storytellers showed up!
Howdy, Honey, Howdy!
We were on a roll...Viveca, Peadar, Donna Marie, Nashid, and Dylan enjoyed listening to my musical arrangement of Stevie Wonder's "I Am Singing" - jazz flutist Najee's version. Perfection! Under a gentle RAPsody of Dunbar's Spring Song.
Come to our next meet up if you'd like to hear it.
Dylan shares with us how Dunbar's southern prose is vernacular of all people in the south and not a dialect. WORD.
Years ago I worked with Dylan on the filming of the Dunbar Video Collection in Los Angeles, thanks to the opportunity shared and organized by Mitch "Grand Daddy" Capel of North Carolina. Mitch is the male voice of Dunbar at the Dunbar House & Museum in Dayton, Oh. Everyone who knows Dunbar, knows Mitch. I was thrilled to see Dylan in the Freestylin' Dunbar Village!
Dylan's peering over his scholarly readers, radiating a youthful grin the whole time. Dylan worked at Williamsburg, Virginia as a historical re-enactor for many years. We were all ears as he also shared an experience on the strange linguistic demands from the less conscious employers of Black culture.
Dylan also serves as a director of NABS fabulous conferences, and he still enjoys telling stories and songs to little ones. Waiting on Nashid, to read The Rival,
Nashid appeared! Nashid well aware of Dylan's expertise, insisted Dylan read The Rivals. Bro. Pritchett did dat thang - to everyone delight! You must read this story/poem and if ya can't...come to Freestylin' Dunbar.
Time flew and a few had to leave, leaving Nashid and I feeling full and grateful, ready to say goodnight! It was 8:45pm est...then suddenly!!!
LeConte popped in from South Carolina. She was thrilled that we were live and in living color, lovin' on Dunbar. Screen shared our website and as she held back her excitement, hand over her mouth to hide her wide grin. I asked her if she had something up her sleeve, looking kinda suspicious, like she was holding something back;-) So I asked her...do you know something we don't know?
Apparently, LeConte was having a "moment." She shared her story; before marriage and children, she spent a significant amount of time in the storytelling world. Performed Dunbar in a play and once interacted with Mitch Capel, in the audience and was more than happy to meet her.
Now, full time employed and mother of a few boys, storytelling took a back seat. Discovering Freestlyin' via Love Of Dunbar google search, she was, as we old schooler's use to say, on Cloud 9!
We hope LeConte will continue to find time in her busy schedule as a educator, mom, wife and farmer, to visit again for future adventures.
LeConte was so happy to find us, she also joined in on the Love Of Dunbar Collective's rehearsal the next day.
You can visit too if you haven't already; goto www.LoveOfDunbar.com where you'll find the registration for the 2nd Friday Monthly meetup, if you'd like to observe our weekly rehearsals on Fridays & for Freestylin' Dunbar weekly.
also register for the Black History
Month Special 2025 of our 5th Remembering Dunbar, A Discovering Dunbar Series Part 1, Keep A Pluggin' Away, is the theme on (Mark Your Calendars!) February 23rd Sunday @ 3:00 PM EST or just send a e-mail to LoveOfDunbar@gmail with Rehearsals in the subject line (to receive a friendly reminder).
Thanks for reading and being a part of the story!
Till next time...Keep a pluggin' away.
Oni *!*
(c) 2025 Oni Lasana Adventures
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