Introduction of the Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Madam Speaker, today, I introduce the Paul Laurence Dunbar Commemorative Coin Act. This bill recognizes one of the first influential African-American poets in American literature and benefits the Dunbar Alumni Federation, the alumni association for the Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School, which is historic for being the first public high school for African Americans in the United States. I myself am a proud graduate of Dunbar, a storied African-American high school in our country.

Paul Laurence Dunbar was born June 27, 1872, to freed slaves, and went on to pen such classics as Majors and Minors and Lyrics of Lowly Life. He also composed the lyrics to In Dahomey, the first all-African- American musical produced on Broadway. By the late 1890s, Dunbar had become a prominent author, having had his poems published in major national newspapers, including The New York Times. Dunbar died February 9, 1906, at age 33.

Paul Laurence Dunbar Senior High School was established in the District of Columbia in 1870 as the Preparatory High School for Colored Youth. It was the first college preparatory high school for African- American children in the United States. The school was renamed for Dunbar in 1916.

The Dunbar Alumni Federation was organized in 2002 to provide scholarships and other financial support to students and graduates of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. The Federation has alumni from more than 35 graduating classes, and supports the school through its scholarship efforts, community activities and other endeavors.

This bill authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to mint 50,000 five-dollar coins, 400,000 one-dollar coins, and 750,000 half-dollar coins, with a surcharge on each coin. The surcharges will benefit the scholarships and similar activities of the Dunbar Alumni Federation.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

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