A Common Language

Historical marker location:

990 Jefferson Drive Southwest, The National Mall, District of Columbia

( Marker is on Jefferson Drive Southwest west of 7th Street Southwest, on the right when traveling east.)

Kathrine Dulin Folger Rose Garden

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.