James Weldon Johnson

James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) was an American writer, poet, diplomat, and civil rights activist born in Jacksonville, Florida. He is best known as the author of the lyrics to «Lift Every Voice and Sing», written with his brother John Rosamond Johnson in 1900, which became widely known as the «Black National Anthem» and remains one of the most enduring works in African American cultural and musical history.

Beyond songwriting, Johnson was a prolific man of letters: he wrote the novel «The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man», published anonymously in 1912, a pioneering work exploring racial identity and passing in early twentieth-century America. He was also a poet, notably of «God's Trombones», and an anthologist who helped canonize African American literature and spirituals for a broader audience. His writing combined literary ambition with a deep engagement with Black vernacular culture and history. Johnson's career extended well beyond literature — he served as a U.S. diplomat, worked as a songwriter and lyricist in New York's music scene, and became a leading figure in the NAACP, serving as its executive secretary during the 1920s. This combination of literary, political, and cultural leadership made him a central figure of the Harlem Renaissance and one of the most significant African American intellectuals of the early twentieth century, whose work bridged music, literature, and activism.