Paul Laurence Dunbar was an influential African American poet, novelist, and playwright born on June 27, 1872, in Dayton, Ohio. He was one of the first African American writers to gain national recognition and is best known for his use of dialect in poetry, which captured the experiences of African Americans in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Dunbar published his first collection of poems, titled Oak and Ivy, in 1893. His work often explored themes of race, identity, and the struggles of African Americans. He was a contemporary of notable figures like W.E.B. Du Bois and Booker T. Washington, and his literary contributions continue to be celebrated today.