James Weldon Johnson

Born 1871 · Joined the Ancestors 1938

Fact

Wrote "Lift Every Voice and Sing" — the Black National Anthem

Fact

First Black executive secretary of the NAACP

Fact

First Black person admitted to Florida bar after Reconstruction

James Weldon Johnson wrote the words to "Lift Every Voice and Sing" in 1900, a hymn so powerful it became known as the Black National Anthem. But Johnson was far more than the author of one song — he was a poet, novelist, diplomat, lawyer, and one of the most important civil rights leaders of the early twentieth century.

As the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP, Johnson transformed it from a small organization into the nation's most powerful civil rights force. He led campaigns against lynching, organized voter registration drives, and investigated the U.S. occupation of Haiti. His novel "The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man" was decades ahead of its time in exploring racial identity.

Johnson was also the first Black person admitted to the Florida bar through examination after Reconstruction, and he served as U.S. consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua. His breadth of achievement across literature, diplomacy, law, and activism is almost unmatched in American history.

Read the full lyrics and story of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" →