Chaminade Julienne students in Brian Mix’s African American Studies class have an interesting story to share, tied to Dayton history and the CJ campus. Through Mix’s class, students are exploring the richness of Black history — including stories rooted right here in Dayton. As they study the life and writings of Dayton’s own Paul Laurence Dunbar, students realize that this nationally recognized literary figure has not only a powerful local connection but also a tie to their own campus at CJ.
“My students became familiar with Paul Laurence Dunbar after reading several of his poems in class,” said Mix. “His works are used in African American Studies courses across the country. Dunbar was an inspiration to all by writing about the expectations that African Americans had to live with in a predominantly white society. He penned the lyrics of the first African American musical to grace a Broadway stage, written to inspire pride in the African roots of Black society. When studying Dunbar, it is impossible not to think of our Marianist and Sister of Notre Dame de Namur’s charisms of educating for community and inclusivity, and educating for justice and peace.”
This year, Mix and his students discovered that Wayman African American Methodist Episcopal (AME) had a church on Eaker Street from 1872 to 1922, which is currently on the CJ campus. This church was founded in 1833 and is recognized as Dayton’s first Black congregation. Dunbar and his mother worshipped at the Eaker Street A.M.E. Church for years. After cross-examining the 1917 Firemen’s Map of Eaker Street from the Dayton Public Library and a modern map showing property lots, Mix and his students determined that this historic church was once located where the Sister Dorothy Stang Hall in the Founder Center is now. This room contains CJ’s middle school’s main entrance and office, the high school tutoring center, and Eagle’s Learning Center.
“It is powerful to recognize that two lives devoted to faith, courage, and uplifting others are connected to the very ground our students walk each day,” said Greg Mueller, principal.
According to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, the organization that oversees the museum at his house, Dunbar wrote his first poem, “An Easter Ode,” in 1878 and recited it at his first public reading at the Eaker Street A.M.E. Church in 1884, when he was just 12 years old.
Paul Laurence Dunbar died young at 33. On February 12, 1906, his well-attended funeral was held at the Eaker Street A.M.E. Church.
Mix said, “On February 12, 2026, the 120th anniversary of his funeral, CJ students participating in a new African American Studies course visited the site of his funeral in remembrance of a Dayton legend and as a way to commemorate Paul Laurence Dunbar’s contributions during the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month. We remembered this pioneering African American writer from Dayton, who authored over 400 poems, 12 poetry collections, four novels, four short story collections, and a Broadway musical while addressing racial prejudice, the joys of life, and the African American experience in the post-Emancipation era.”
Paul Laurence Dunbar’s readings are also taught in CJ’s English courses.
“We are so blessed as English teachers to invite students to his work with the added layer of Dayton pride,” said Dan Eiser, CJ English teacher. “When he speaks of his community, he does refer to a larger community as a whole, but also to this place and land that we also call home. The students are able to sense that. To many in the area, they take Dunbar’s impact for granted as they drive past the museum or live nearby. We are blessed to have some of the preeminent Dunbar scholars and resources in the world right here at our local universities.”
Mix added, “Writers like Paul Laurence Dunbar were so influential in their attempts to break down Black stereotypes that persisted across the Atlantic and through slavery. He wrote about the struggle of being Black in America and made efforts to reconnect people to their proud African roots. Paul Laurence Dunbar and other writers like him defined Black culture during the early 20th century. For someone as influential as him to be part of our city and, especially, at one time, a part of our campus, deserves to be remembered by new generations of students here in Dayton.”
If interested in learning more about Paul Laurence Dunbar’s upbringing in Dayton, click here.
