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History of The Dunbar Center
Over a century of community-building
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The idea behind the Dunbar Center was conceived in 1918 by Jimmy Legrin, a formerly incarcerated man who became a barbershop owner determined to create opportunities for Black youth in Syracuse. With support from Syracuse University’s Paul Laurence Dunbar Literary Society, Dora Hazard, Lucian Knowles, Katherine Burlingame, and the AME Zion Church, Dunbar opened its doors as one of the first community centers for African Americans in the city.
During the Great Migration, when many Black families moved north in search of work and opportunity, Dunbar became a settlement house — a vital resource for those who faced housing discrimination, job barriers, and exclusion from white‑led institutions. Dunbar helped people find places to live and work, while also preserving and celebrating African American culture and traditions. Over the decades, it grew into a hub for youth programs, mentorship, athletics, adoption and foster care, and even served as a USO for Black servicemen during World War II. Generations of families came to know Dunbar as more than a center — it was, and remains, the heart of Syracuse’s Black community.
