Biography

James Weldon Johnson (1871 - 1938) was an author, lyricist, poet, diplomat, attorney and leader of the NAACP. He authored the lyrics to Lift Every Voice and Sing in January 1900 for a celebration of President Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12, 1900, and is now generally used throughout the country as the Black/African American “National Hymn.” Johnson worked tirelessly for social justice and to expose the power of African-American contributions to the intellectual and artistic life of America.