James Weldon Johnson

Robert E. Fleming (University of New Mexico)

Ed. by Emory Elliott, University of California, Riverside
The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 3.2.3: American (US) Writing and Culture: The Early Twentieth-century , 1900-1945.
Vol. editors: J. Michael Duvall (College of Charleston), Emory Elliott (University of California, Riverside), Dale Enggass (University of Utah), Matthew Hofer (University of New Mexico), Stephen E. Meats (Pittsburg State University), Tony Papanikolas (San Jose State University), Justin Parks (UiT - The Arctic University of Norway), Nick Selby (University of East Anglia)

Dates

Born 17 Jun 1871
Died 26 Jun 1938
Activity 1891-1938

Places

Born in United States
Active in United States

Activities

Primary

Editor
Lawyer/ Barrister/ Solicitor
Novelist
Poet
Politician
Song-writer

Other

Autobiographer
Essayist
Historian / Chronicler
Teacher/ Professor

Resources

Johnson's Works

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James Weldon Johnson was born in Florida in 1871 and educated in a Jacksonville, Florida, segregated public school. After graduating in 1887, he enrolled in preparatory school at Atlanta University because Jacksonville did not have a high school for African American students. After preparatory school Johnson went on to graduate from Atlanta University. In 1894 he returned to Jacksonville as principal of his former school, where he initiated two additional grades beyond the eighth grade.

While teaching and presiding over the school, Johnson founded the Daily American, an African American newspaper, and studied law, passing the Florida bar examination in 1898. He also collaborated with his brother Rosamond as a song writer. In 1900 the brothers produced “Lift Every Voice and Sing”,

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951 words

Citation: Fleming, Robert E.. "James Weldon Johnson". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 08 January 2001 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2380, accessed 27 November 2024.]

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