Brenda Montano and Dave Zuckermann present the compelling story of Austin Dunn, one of the early employees of the newly-formed East Bay Regional Park District in the mid-1930s. Dunn was a young African American man who made his way from Georgia to Oakland and was subsequently hired as a park laborer and equipment operator during the Depression years. Brenda and Dave will show how the District’s History and Archives Program has researched and developed the still-unfinished story. Further, they will shed light on the broader meaning of the Dunn Story and how it helps highlight the important role that New Deal programming played in the formation and early success of the park district.

For more about the Park District including programs like Trails Challenge visit ebparks.org. And if you were intrigued by the story of Austin Dunn, please write to your local District Board member and ask them to support and expand the Archives Program so that they can continue to uncover and piece together Dunn's history—and others like it.