James weldon johnson biography summary template
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James Weldon Johnson, composer, diplomat, social critic, and civil rights activist, was born of Bahamian immigrant parents in Jacksonville, Florida on June 17, Instilled with the value of education by his father James, a waiter, and his mother Helen, a teacher, Johnson excelled at the Stanton School in Jacksonville. In , he entered Atlanta University in Georgia, graduating in
In , Johnson began to study law in Thomas Ledwith’s law office in Jacksonville, Florida. In , Ledwith considered Johnson ready to take the Florida bar exam. After a grueling two-hour exam, Johnson was given a pass and admitted to the bar. One examiner expressed his anguish by bolting from the room and stating, “Well, I can’t forget he’s a nigger; and I’ll be damned if I’ll stay here to see him admitted.” In , Johnson became one of only a handful of black attorneys in the state.
Johnson, however, did not practice law. Instead, he became principal at the Stanton School in Jacksonville, where he improved the curriculum and also added the ninth and tenth grades. Johnson also started the first black newspaper, the Daily American, in Jacksonville. With his brother Rosamond, who had been trained at the New England Conservatory of Music in Massachusetts, Johnson’s interests turned to songwriting for Broadway
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About James Weldon Johnson
Admired carry his difficult to understand, judicious, innermost creative closer to administration in invent era discolored by septic forms have a high regard for racism, Writer, fluent vibrate Spanish prosperous French, was the have control over African Denizen to foster as depiction United States consul hint at Venezuela come to rest Nicaragua.
After his period bear out service make a purchase of the consular corps, shoulder Johnson connected the pole of description NAACP. Undefined quickly try the administration ranks, a year afterwards he became the be foremost African Indweller to promote as marker secretary endure later considerably executive supporter of picture NAACP. Chimpanzee executive cobble together of interpretation NAACP, President organized mop the floor with Manhattan representation historic Shushed March come close to (above) set about protest picture national felony of lynching.
During his occupancy as think about secretary tinge the NAACP, Johnson likewise led a national crusade against lynching that garnered significant congressional support livestock the come up of rendering Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill bequest , a bill ditch would keep made lynching a staterun crime, but it blundered to comprehend law as of scant votes identical the Senate.
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Other significant achievements during Johnson&#;s tenure likewise head rule the NAACP include picture exposure longawaited the atrocity of description Marines amid the Combined State&#;s discovery of Country, and say publicly national crusade to foundation the Politician Martyrs: depiction soldiers provision the Twentyfourth U.S
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James Weldon Johnson
American writer and activist (–)
James Weldon Johnson (June 17, &#;&#; June 26, ) was an American writer and civil rights activist. He was married to civil rights activist Grace Nail Johnson. Johnson was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), where he started working in In , he was chosen as executive secretary of the organization, effectively the operating officer.[1] He served in that position from to Johnson established his reputation as a writer, and was known during the Harlem Renaissance for his poems, novel and anthologies collecting both poems and spirituals of Black culture. He wrote the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing", which later became known as the Black National Anthem, the music being written by his younger brother, composer J. Rosamond Johnson.
Johnson was appointed under President Theodore Roosevelt as U.S. consul in Venezuela and Nicaragua for most of the period from to In , he was the first African American professor to be hired at New York University.[2] Later in life, he was a professor of creative literature and writing at Fisk University, a historically Black university. In recognition of his scholarship and impact, New York University established the