Paul William Dunbar High School, originally Bessemer Colored High School, was a public school for African-American students which operated in

Bessemer, Alabama Bessemer is a southwestern suburb of Birmingham in Jefferson County, Alabama, United States. The population was 26,019 at the 2020 census. It is within the Birmingham- Hoover, AL Metropolitan Statistical Area, of which Jefferson County is the ...

from 1923 to 1980. It served grades 1 through 12 when it opened, and its first graduating class matriculated in 1927 under principal J. B. Bickerstaff. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 2011. At the suggestion of English teacher Pearl Blivens, the school was renamed for Ohio-born poet

Paul Laurence Dunbar Paul Laurence Dunbar (June 27, 1872 – February 9, 1906) was an American poet, novelist, and short story writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born in Dayton, Ohio, to parents who had been enslaved in Kentucky before the American C ...

(1872-1906) in 1928. In addition to academic subjects, the school offered a wide range of vocational training programs. Among the school's notable faculty members was

Arthur Shores Arthur Davis Shores (September 25, 1904 – December 16, 1996) was an American civil rights attorney who was considered Alabama's "drum major for justice". Education Shores graduated from Talladega College where he became a member of Alpha Phi A ...

, a polymath who taught science, history, civics and literature. He served briefly as principal before becoming a notable

civil rights Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from infringement by governments, social organizations, and private individuals. They ensure one's entitlement to participate in the civil and political life of ...

attorney. Notable graduates include art collector Paul R. Jones and activist James Boggs. Long-time principal Jackson Solomon Abrams died in 1959 and a new high school then under construction was named in his memory. Dunbar was converted into an elementary and middle school until it closed in 1980. The building was subsequently acquired by the National Dunbar-Abrams Foundation and partially renovated as a community center. The former school was added to the

in 2011.

Athletics

Dunbar High School fielded a football team nicknamed the Blue Devils. Their most common opponent was Westfield High School whom they played 23 times and whom they had a winning record against of 15-7-1. They played 19 times against the Rosedale High School Sons of Kong over whom they also had a winning record of 10-8-1.

Notable alumni

* Alfred Hall, 32 year coaching career at Brighton High School aa head football coach with a record of (130-84-11), and leading basketball, baseball, and track programs. * Johnnie Cornelius Laurie, (graduated 1934–35) U.S. Navy, gave his life for his country at Battle of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941AL.com, October 17, 2019

References

* Nance, Rahkia (January 24, 2007) "Old Bessemer high school for blacks being renovated." ''The Birmingham News'' *
Dunbar-Abrams High School History
(n.d.) National Dunbar-Abrams Foundation Inc. - accessed August 22, 2016

External links

* Bessemer, Alabama Public high schools in Alabama Educational institutions established in 1923 National Register of Historic Places in Jefferson County, Alabama 1923 establishments in Alabama {{Alabama-NRHP-stub

Athletics

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links