James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson | |
|---|---|
 Photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1932 | |
| Executive Secretary of the NAACP | |
| In office 1920–1929 | |
| Preceded by | John Shillady |
| Succeeded by | Walter White |
| In office 1917–1918 | |
| Preceded by | Royal Freeman Nash |
| Succeeded by | John Shillady |
| Personal details | |
| Born | June 17, 1871 Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
| Died | June 26, 1938 (aged 67) Wiscasset, Maine, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green-Wood Cemetery |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Relatives | J. Rosamond Johnson (brother) Stephen Dillet (maternal grandfather) |
| Education | Atlanta University (BA) |
Awards | Spingarn Medal |
| Writing career | |
| Period | Harlem Renaissance (1891–1938) |
| Subject | Civil rights |
| Notable works | "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing" (1900) The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912) God's Trombones (1927) |
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, 1871 – June 26, 1938) was an African American author, politician, diplomat, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter and early civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson.
Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he started working in 1917. In 1920, he was chosen as executive secretary of the organization, effectively the operating officer. He served in that position from 1920 to 1930.
Johnson established his reputation as a writer through his poems and anthologies of the poetry and spirituals of Black culture. He wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which later became known as the Black National Anthem, the music being written by his younger brother, composer J. Rosamond Johnson.
In 1934, he was the first African American professor to be hired at New York University. Later in life, he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University, a historically Black university. In recognition of his scholarship and impact, New York University established the James Weldon Johnson Professorship in 2020.