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Dunbar-Jupiter Public Library celebrates 50 years in Fort Myers

WGCU | By Bryant Monteilh
Published April 19, 2024 at 5:48 AM EDT
The Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary.
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The Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Celebrating a legacy of learning…the Dunbar-Jupiter Hammon Public Library in Fort Myers is turning 50.

Lee County Library System and the community will celebrate the golden anniversary of the library on Blount Street Saturday, April 20.

It’s home to one of the only specialized collections of African American Literature in Southwest Florida.

The collection is named after Mary Rice who along with other community members advocated for a library to be opened in the area. Their goal was to ensure equal access to county resources for the children of Dunbar during a time when the lingering effects of segregation still reverberated across the nation.

Opened in April 1974, the library is named after Jupiter Hammon, the first published African American author, and Paul Laurence Dunbar, the first widely acclaimed US African American author and poet.

The library's 50th Anniversary celebration will run from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday, at the library's 3095 Blount St. site.

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Cultural Affairs WGCU NewsDunbarLee County Library System
Bryant Monteilh
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