James Weldon Johnson

JOHNSON, James Weldon. b. Jacksonville, Florida, 17 June 1871; d. Wiscasset, Maine, 26 June 1938. Best known for authoring ‘Lift every voice and sing’*, Johnson earned a BA and MA in Literature from Atlanta University (1894, 1904). In 1899, he and his brother, John Rosamond Johnson*, moved to New York City, where they composed for Broadway shows and successfully partnered with Bob Cole (1868-1911) as the vaudeville team, Cole and Johnson Brothers. Johnson became a leader in the Harlem Renaissance and an advocate with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), ultimately as Executive Secretary (1920-1930).  The first African-American admitted to the Florida Bar,...