Everything about James Weldon Johnson totally explained
James Weldon Johnson (
June 17,
1871–
June 26,
1938) was an
American author, politician, critic, journalist, poet, anthologist, educator, lawyer, songwriter, early
civil rights activist, and prominent figure in the
Harlem Renaissance. Johnson is best remembered for his writing, which includes novels, poems, and collections of folklore. He was also one of the first
African-American professors at
New York University. Later in life he was a professor of creative literature and writing at
Fisk University.
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Life
Johnson was born in
Jacksonville, Florida, the son of Helen Louise Dillet and James Johnson. Johnson was first educated by his mother (a musician and a public school teacher - the first female, black teacher in Florida at a grammar school) and then at
Edwin M. Stanton School. At the age of 16 he enrolled at
Atlanta University, from which he graduated in 1894. In addition to his bachelor's degree, he also completed some graduate coursework there.
He served in several public capacities over the next 35 years, working in education, the
diplomatic corps, civil rights activism, literature, poetry, and music. In 1904 Johnson went on Theodore Roosevelt's presidential Campaign. In 1907 Theodore Roosevelt appointed Johnson as U.S. consul at Puerto Cabello, Venezuela from 1906-1908 and then Nicaragua from 1909-1913. In 1910 Johnson married Grace Nail, the daughter of a prosperous real estate developer from New York.In 1913 he changed his name officially from James William Johnson to James Weldon Johnson. He became a member of
Sigma Pi Phi and
Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. at some point after its founding in 1914.
Today, James Weldon Johnson College Preparatory Middle School is named after him. In 1916, Johnson joined the staff of the NAACP. In 1920, he became general secretary of the NAACP.
Education and Law
After graduation he returned to
Stanton, a school for African American students in Jacksonville, until 1906, where, at the young age of 23, he became principal. Johnson improved education by adding the
ninth and
tenth grades. In 1897, Johnson was the first African American admitted to the
Florida Bar Exam since
Reconstruction. In the 1930s Johnson became a Professor of Creative Literature and Writing at
Fisk University in
Nashville, Tennessee where he lectured not only on literature but also on a wide range of issues to do with the life and civil rights of black Americans.
Music
In 1899, Johnson moved to
New York City with his brother,
J. Rosamond Johnson to work in
musical theater. Along with his brother, he produced such hits as "Tell Me, Dusky Maiden" and "Nobody's Looking but the Owl and the Moon". Johnson composed the lyrics of "
Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," originally written for a celebration of
Lincoln's birthday at Stanton School. This song would later become to be known - and adopted as such by the
NAACP - as the
Negro National Anthem. The song was entered into the
Congressional Record as the official African American National Hymn following the success of a 1990 rendition by singer
Melba Moore and a bevy of other recording artists. After successes with their songwriting and music the brothers worked at
Broadway and collaborated with producer and director
Bob Cole. Johnson also composed the opera
Tolosa with his brother
J. Rosamond Johnson which satirizes the U.S. annexation of the Pacific islands.
Diplomacy
In 1906 Johnson was appointed US
consul of
Puerto Cabello, Venezuela. In 1909, he transferred to be the US consul of
Corinto, Nicaragua. During his work in the foreign service, Johnson became a published poet, with work printed in the magazine
The Century Magazine and in
The Independent.
Literature and Anthology
During his six-year stay in South America he completed his most famous book
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man which was published anonymously in 1912. It was only in 1927 that Johnson admitted his authorship - stressing that it wasn't a work of autobiography but mostly fictional. Other works include
The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925),
Black Manhattan (1930), his exploration of the contribution of African-Americans to the cultural scene of New York, and
Negro Americans, What Now? (1934), a book calling for civil rights for African Americans. Johnson was also an accomplished anthologist. Johnson's anthologies provided inspiration, encouragement, and recognition to the new generation of artists who would create the
Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 1930s.
Poetry
The poetry of Johnson,
Paul Lawrence Dunbar, and the works of people like
W.E.B Dubois ignited the
Harlem Renaissance. In 1922, he edited
The Book of American Negro Poetry, which the Academy of American Poets calls "a major contribution to the history of African-American literature." One of the works for which he's best remembered today,, was published in 1927 and celebrates the tradition of the
folk preacher. In 1917, Johnson published
50 Years and Other Poems.
Activism
While serving the
NAACP from 1920 through 1931 Johnson started as an organizer and eventually became the first black male secretary in the organization's history. Throughout the 1920s he was one of the major inspirations and promoters of the
Harlem Renaissance trying to refute condescending white criticism and helping young black authors to get published. While serving in the NAACP Johnson was involved in sparking the drive behind the
Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill of 1921.
Shortly before his death, Johnson supported efforts by
Ignatz Waghalter, a Polish-Jewish composer who had escaped the Nazis, to establish a classical orchestra of African-American musicians. According to musical historian James Nathan Jones, the formation of the "American Negro Orchestra" (as it was then known) represented for Johnson "the fulfillment of a dream he'd had for thirty years."
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James Weldon Johnson died in 1938 while on vacation in
Wiscasset, Maine, when the car he was driving was hit by a train. His funeral in Harlem was attended by more than 2000 people.
Selected works
Poetry
Other works and collections
The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912/1927)
Self-Determining Haiti (1920)
The Book of American Negro Poetry (1922)
The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925)
Second Book of Negro Spirituals (1926)
Black Manhattan (1930)
Negro Americans, What Now? (1934)
Along This Way (1933)
The Selected Writings of James Weldon Johnson (1995, posthumous collection)Further Information
Get more info on 'James Weldon Johnson'.
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