James Weldon Johnson
An item at American Writers Museum
James Weldon Johnson's life defies neat summary. A leader of the cultural movement called the Harlem Renaissance, he authored fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, including an autobiography. He wrote lyrics for many songs, including "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," popularly regarded as the African-American national anthem. He raised public awareness of lynching and fought Jim Crow laws through his activist work with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Johnson was also a lawyer, diplomat, newspaperman, opera libretto translator, and university professor.
If there is one unifying thread, it is this: in his words and deeds, Johnson conveyed absolute conviction in the limitless creative potential of black Americans.
AMERICAN VOICES
An exhibit at American Writers Museum
American writing is distinctive, diverse, and comes in many forms from across the nation. The 100 authors featured here represent the evolution of American writing. Learn more about each writer on the timeline by turning the panels below their portraits. Explore centuries of writing by pulling, turning, and touching the interactive elements on the counter.
This is not meant to be a list of the greatest or most influential writers. Instead, we present authors and works as part of the American story as it grows and changes. Taken together, this rich literary heritage reflects America in all of its complexity: its energy, hope, conflict, disillusionment, and creativity.