James Weldon Johnson 
On February 2, 1988, A Commemorative Stamp Of James Weldon Johnson Was
Issued By The United States Postal Service As Part Of Its Black
Heritage USA Series.
James Weldon Johnson Was Born June 17, 1871, In Jacksonville, Florida.
In November, 1900, James Weldon Johnson And His Brother, John Rosemond Johnson, Composed The Song, "Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing," Generally Known As The Black National Anthem.
Johnson Served As General Secretary Of The NAACP From 1920 - 1930, Resigning To Teach Creative Literature At Fisk University. Johnson Was The First Black Executive Secretary Of The NAACP.
Johnson Was A True Renaissance Man. During His Distinguished Career He Was A Lawyer (He Was The First Black Person Admitted To The Florida Bar), Diplomat (U.S. Consul To Venezuela And Nicaragua), Educator, Civil Rights Activist Poet, Editor, Literary Critic And Author.
As An African American Literary Critic And Author, Johnson Had A Profound Influence On Black Literature In The 1900's. He Was A Major Presence During the Harlem Renaissance.
His Books Includes The Autobiography Of An Ex-Colored Man (1912), The Book Of American Negro Spirituals (1925) And Black Manhattan (1935).
Johnson Died June 26, 1938.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr. 
Hugh Gaddy
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Posted By: Hugh Gaddy
Monday, February 1st 2010 at 8:21PM
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