We, Too, Sing America | Episode 5: Paul Laurence Dunbar

Born in Dayton, OH on June 27th, 1872, Paul Laurence Dunbar was a poet, novelist, and playwright. Dunbar was one of the first African American poets to gain national recognition. As a teenager, he published and edited a The Dayton Tattler newspaper made for West Dayton’s African American community. Dunbar reached a wide audience in his adult years, speaking at numerous conventions, and gaining recognition for his work in such prominent magazines as Harper’s Weekly. Today, Dunbar is acknowledged for being crucial in establishing a voice influential to generations of poets, including those responsible for the blossoming of the Harlem Renaissance.

We, Too, Sing America: African American Voices of Song, is a virtual series created by Aural Compass Projects during their 2020-2021 season. This project is a resource for musicians and music lovers interested in learning through its exploration of 16 African American composers and poets who have contributed to the art song genre. Featuring interviews with modern-day leading performers and scholars of spirituals and African American art song, each episode focuses on a specific composer or poet’s life, influence, and their important works. These episodes are intended to provide an introduction and the tools necessary to continue your own research on each artist.

Guest speakers include:
Dr. Minnita Daniel-Cox, soprano and creator of the Dunbar Music Archive
Dr. Tsitsi Ella Jaji, poet, scholar, Duke University

Resources for further research:
Dunbar Music Archive: https://ecommons.udayton.edu/dunbar/
Research Guides: https://guides.loc.gov/paul-laurence-...

0:00 Intro
0:44 Early Life & Vernacular Voice
6:32 Marriage to Alice Ruth Moore
9:54 Standard English Poetry
11:22 Works in Dialect
12:58 Relationship with Samuel Coleridge Taylor
14:28 Influence of Dunbar
17:38 Paul Laurence Dunbar Archive
20:25 "A Negro Love Song"
21:26 "When Malindy Sings"
26:45 Quote from James Weldon Johnson
27:39 Credits