Functioning as the Nation's First Proving Ground

Historical marker location:

Navy Yard, District of Columbia

( Marker is on M Street Southeast west of 10th Street Southeast, on the right when traveling east.)

Firepower. Behind These Walls

The District was the site of the first U.S. public school for black students: The M Street School (later known as Dunbar High School) was founded in 1870 and was the first public school in the United States for black students. The school became known for its high academic standards and produced many notable alumni, including civil rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune.