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Matilda Jane Dunbar
Mother of a Poet
Native of Kentucky, Matilda Jane Dunbar, wife of Joshua
Dunbar, was a remarkable
woman. Her beloved son, Paul Laurence Dunbar, was
born on June 27, 1872, in Dayton, Ohio, and died in
her arms on February 9, 1906. She was a devoted
mother and a great influence on her son
When Paul was two years old, Matilda Jane and Joshua separated in 1874.
Very little is known of Joshua.
Paul
had a younger sister, Elizabeth, who died in infancy.
His mother was left on her own, making a living as a
"colored washerwoman. Among her customers was the
Wright family.
Born in slavery, Matilda learned poetry by listening to
her slave-master read poetry to his family in the evenings,
and she was determined that Paul receive an education and
inspired him in the writing of poetry.
While growing up, Paul helped his mother by delivering her
laundry bundles and working part-time in hotels. Upon
graduation he aspired to a career in law but was financially
unable to continue his studies. He was rejected for jobs by
many Dayton businesses, including newspapers, because of his
race. He took a job as an elevator boy in the Callahan
Building on Main Street. While employed as an elevator boy, he
produced articles, short stories and poems that later earned
him fame.
Born into slavery in Fayette County,
Kentucky, near Shelbyville, Matilda Jane Dunbar died in Dayton on February 24, 1943.
She came to Dayton following the Civil War after marrying Joshua
Dunbar, also born a slave. By a previous marriage to Wilson W. Murphy
of Louisville, Kentucky, she had two children, William and Robert,
about whom very little is known.
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posted 22 June 2008 |
