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Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Encyclopedia
Paul Laurence Dunbar High School is a public secondary school located in Baltimore, Maryland.
, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier. In 1925, a secondary school evolved from the primary grades and was called Dunbar Junior High School, No. 133. By 1940 Dunbar was a full fledged high school and awarded its first diploma, the second "African American" school in Baltimore to do so.
and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
. Dunbar's programs include biotechnology, Emergency Medical Technology (EMT), Accounting, Nursing and Health Care Delivery Systems. It is similar to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas
, as all three schools have a majority African American student body and are of a major importance to the local African American community. All three schools are also highly regarded for their athletic programs within their respective school district in the sports of football, basketball, and track. Prior to the Supreme Court
decision in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education
), African American teenagers in Baltimore were allowed to attend only Dunbar and Frederick Douglass high school
s.
In the summer of 2007, the main high school building was emptied so that renovations to the school could be effected. Students were moved to Thomas G. Hayes, an elementary school behind Dunbar at 601 N. Central Avenue. The renovations were completed in late August 2009 at a cost of $32 million. Newly renovated features include science and robotics labs and wider interior hallways, larger windows, a new cafeteria and library.
in 1993, Dunbar has dominated the class 1A division. The Poets won state championships in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, (setting a state record with 58 points in the title game), and 2010; played in the state finals in 1997, the semi-finals in 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005 and the quarter-finals in 1999 and 2002.
The Lady Poets have excelled as well, winning the state girl's basketball title in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2011.
, an organization formed by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
graduate students to prevent teenagers from failing high school. Struggling students selected by the principal can receive 1-on-1 tutoring from IMP mentors, as well as comprehensive social support to address any personal challenges that may be affecting their school performance.
Other mentoring programs include:
History
Dunbar opened in 1918 as the Paul Laurence Dunbar Elementary School, No. 101. It was named in memory of Paul Laurence DunbarPaul Laurence Dunbar
Paul Laurence Dunbar was a seminal African American poet of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dunbar gained national recognition for his 1896 "Ode to Ethiopia", one poem in the collection Lyrics of Lowly Life....
, an African-American poet, who had died ten years earlier. In 1925, a secondary school evolved from the primary grades and was called Dunbar Junior High School, No. 133. By 1940 Dunbar was a full fledged high school and awarded its first diploma, the second "African American" school in Baltimore to do so.
Academics
Dunbar is a magnet school like Baltimore City CollegeBaltimore City College
The Baltimore City College , also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, historically as The College, and most commonly City, is a public high school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The City College curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Programme and emphasizes study in the classics...
and Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute is a US public high school founded in 1883. Though established as an all-male trade school,it now is a institution that emphasizes mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. It is located on a tract of land in North Baltimore at Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane,...
. Dunbar's programs include biotechnology, Emergency Medical Technology (EMT), Accounting, Nursing and Health Care Delivery Systems. It is similar to Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C. and Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
, as all three schools have a majority African American student body and are of a major importance to the local African American community. All three schools are also highly regarded for their athletic programs within their respective school district in the sports of football, basketball, and track. Prior to the Supreme Court
Supreme court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of many legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, instance court, judgment court, high court, or apex court...
decision in 1954 (Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
), African American teenagers in Baltimore were allowed to attend only Dunbar and Frederick Douglass high school
Frederick Douglass Senior High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Frederick Douglass High School known locally as Douglass is a public high school located in Baltimore, Maryland, US. Established in 1883 as the Colored High and Training School, Douglass is the second oldest historically integrated public high school in the United States...
s.
Renovation
Athletics
Dunbar's current athletic program consists of five men's varsity teams, five women's varsity teams, and five coeducational teams. The men's sports played at Dunbar are baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and wrestling. The women's teams are badminton, basketball, soccer, softball, volleyball. The four co-ed teams are cross country running, indoor track and field, swimming, track and field.Football
Since the Baltimore City School system joined the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic AssociationMaryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association
Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Associationor , is the association that oversees public high school sporting contests in the state of Maryland. Organized in 1946, MPSSAA is made up of public high schools from each of Maryland's 23 counties and Baltimore City...
in 1993, Dunbar has dominated the class 1A division. The Poets won state championships in 1994, 1995, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, (setting a state record with 58 points in the title game), and 2010; played in the state finals in 1997, the semi-finals in 1993, 1996, 2003, 2005 and the quarter-finals in 1999 and 2002.
Basketball
The Dunbar basketball Poets have enjoyed an even greater success in the state. Since 1993 the Poets have won the State Championship in: 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 and just recently acquired the title of State Champions for 2011; and made it to the final game in 1997, 2002 and 2007.The Lady Poets have excelled as well, winning the state girl's basketball title in 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2011.
Community partnerships
Dunbar is home of the Incentive Mentoring ProgramIncentive Mentoring Program
The Incentive Mentoring Program or IMP is a 501 non-profit organization that was originally founded by Sarah and Ryan Hemminger as a partnership between students at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Paul Laurence Dunbar High School...
, an organization formed by Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine , located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., is the academic medical teaching and research arm of Johns Hopkins University. Hopkins has consistently been the nation's number one medical school in the amount of competitive research grants awarded by the National...
graduate students to prevent teenagers from failing high school. Struggling students selected by the principal can receive 1-on-1 tutoring from IMP mentors, as well as comprehensive social support to address any personal challenges that may be affecting their school performance.
Other mentoring programs include:
Politics and government
- Robert M. BellRobert M. BellRobert Mack Bell is an American lawyer and jurist from Baltimore, Maryland. Since 1991 he has been a judge of the Maryland Court of Appeals, the highest court in Maryland, and its Chief Judge since 1996 and has been a judge at every level in the Maryland Courts system...
, Chief Judge, Maryland Court of AppealsMaryland Court of AppealsThe Court of Appeals of Maryland is the supreme court of the U.S. state of Maryland. The court, which is composed of one chief judge and six associate judges, meets in the Robert C. Murphy Courts of Appeal Building in the state capital, Annapolis... - Clarence Davis, Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
, District 45 (1983–2007) - Kenneth N. Harris, Sr.Ken Harris (politician)Kenneth N. Harris, Sr. a member of the Democratic Party, was a candidate for Baltimore City Council President. He served on the city council since 1999, representing Baltimore's 4th Council District, until 2007...
, Baltimore City Council, District 4 - Nathan C. Irby, Jr., Maryland State SenateMaryland State SenateThe Maryland Senate, sometimes referred to as the Maryland State Senate, is the upper house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland...
, District 45 (1983–1994) - Hattie N. HarrisonHattie N. HarrisonHattie N. Harrison is an American politician who has served in the Maryland General Assembly since 1973. Harrison is the chairperson of the Maryland House of Delegates Rules and Executive Nominations Committee, and is the first African-American woman to chair a legislative committee in Maryland.She...
, Maryland House of DelegatesMaryland House of DelegatesThe Maryland House of Delegates is the lower house of the General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Maryland, and is composed of 141 Delegates elected from 47 districts. The House chamber is located in the state capitol building on State Circle in Annapolis...
, District 45 - John D. Jeffries, Maryland House of Delegates, District 39 (1988–1994)
- Paul A. Smith, Judge Circuit Court, Baltimore City (1990–2003)
NFL
- Calvin WilliamsCalvin WilliamsCalvin John Williams is a former professional American football player in the National Football League who was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 1990 NFL Draft. A 5'11", 181-lb...
, wide receiver, Philadelphia EaglesPhiladelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... - Tommy PolleyTommy PolleyTommy William Polley was an American football player in the NFL. He originally played for the St. Louis Rams from 2001 to 2004 before signing with the Ravens as a free agent in 2005. He played only one season with the Ravens before signing with the Saints on June 2, 2006...
linebacker, St.Louis Rams, New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
, Baltimore RavensBaltimore RavensThe Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
NBA
- Muggsy BoguesMuggsy BoguesTyrone Curtis "Muggsy" Bogues is a retired American professional basketball player and former head coach of the now-defunct Charlotte Sting of the Women's National Basketball Association . The shortest player ever to play in the NBA, the Bogues played point guard for four teams during his...
- Sam CassellSam CassellSamuel James "Sam" Cassell , is a retired American professional basketball player who is an assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. The , point guard was selected out of Florida State University by the Houston Rockets with the 24th overall pick in the 1993 NBA Draft...
- Kurk LeeKurk LeeKurk Lee is a retired American professional basketball player. He spent one season in the NBA, for the New Jersey Nets in 1990–91....
- Reggie LewisReggie LewisReggie Lewis was an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Boston Celtics from 1987 to 1993.-Early life:...
- Reggie WilliamsReggie Williams (basketball)Reggie Williams is a retired American professional basketball player. His nickname during his playing days was "Silk."-High school and college career:...
- David Wingate
- Skip WiseSkip WiseAllen Harper Wise, Jr. , known as Skip Wise, was an American basketball player.Wise was a sensation as a high school player at Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Maryland...
Coaches
- Keith BoothKeith BoothKeith Eugene Booth is an American basketball coach and former player. Booth played college basketball at the University of Maryland from 1994 to 1997. He was an assistant coach at his alma mater under Gary Williams from 2004 to 2011...
- current Assistant Coach of University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
men's basketball team - Bob Wade, Head Coach, University of MarylandUniversity of Maryland, College ParkThe University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
men's basketball team, Dunbar boys basketball team, first African American Head Basketball Coach of the Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Fictional
- Proposition Joe Stewart - East Baltimore drug kingpin on the HBO drama The WireThe Wire (TV series)The Wire is an American television drama series set and produced in and around Baltimore, Maryland. Created and primarily written by author and former police reporter David Simon, the series was broadcast by the premium cable network HBO in the United States...
- Ervin BurrellErvin BurrellErvin Burrell is a fictional character on the HBO drama The Wire, played by actor Frankie Faison. Burrell was an officer in the Baltimore Police Department who ascended from Deputy Commissioner of Operations to Commissioner over the course of the show...
- Former police commissioner on the HBO drama The Wire. Burrell was a member of the glee clubGlee clubA glee club is a musical group or choir group, historically of male voices but also of female or mixed voices, which traditionally specializes in the singing of short songs—glees—by trios or quartets. In the late 19th Century it was very popular in most schools and was made a tradition...
while at Dunbar.