Paul laurence dunbar biography – facts, childhood, family life

Matilda had been married previously and had two sons from that relationship. Soon pregnant with Joshua's second child, Matilda left her husband, taking her children and returning to live with her mother, where Matilda gave birth to a daughter, who died when she was two years old.

10 facts about paul laurence dunbar

Matilda divorced Joshua, who passed away in when Paul was 13 years old. Many of their experiences of slave and plantation life influenced Dunbar's later writings. The relationship between Matilda and her son, Paul, was a strong one. Recognizing that Paul displayed an early talent with words, Matilda worked to ensure he received the best education possible.

His two older step-brothers dropped out of school in order to find work and help support the family, but Matilda would not let the same thing happen to Paul. At Central, he was the only African American in his class, of which Orville Wright was also a member. During high school, Paul wrote and published poems in his school newspaper, serving as editor, and was also an active member in the literary and debate societies.

Dunbar hoped his success in achieving a high school diploma and in publishing a number of his early poems would translate either into an opportunity to attend college or begin a career in journalism. In fact, Dunbar quickly discovered that job prospects for a well-educated young African American in Dayton were rather limited. Faced with decreasing funds, Dunbar became an elevator operator in the Callahan building located in downtown Dayton.