This playground honors Paul Dunbar (1872-1906), an accomplished and prolific African American poet. Born on June 27, 1872 in Dayton, Ohio, Dunbar spent much of his youth as the only minority student in all-white academic institutions. Among his childhood friends were aviation pioneers Orville (1874-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912). A popular and respected figure in the Dayton’s Central High School Community, Dunbar served as Editor-in-Chief of his school newspaper, president of the Literary Society, and received praise for his poetry.