Restore and Connect

Historical marker location:

Navy Yard, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Anacostia Riverwalk Trail east of 1st Street Southeast, on the right when traveling west.)

Water Is Life

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.