James Weldon Johnson

A talented individual who left his mark in multiple fields as a writer, diplomat, and civil rights activist. He demonstrated the value of Black culture to the world through writing the lyrics to the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing"—affectionately known as the "Negro National Anthem"—and through representative poetry of the Harlem Renaissance. Additionally, as the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), he rapidly grew the organization and directed anti-lynching campaigns and court battles against racial discrimination in the South, contributing to the advancement of African Americans from both legal and cultural fronts.

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