James Weldon Johnson and the Anthem

A giant who led the Harlem Renaissance as a poet and writer and laid the foundation for the modern civil rights movement as the first Black executive secretary of the NAACP. He co-authored with his younger brother and wrote the lyrics to the song "Lift Every Voice and Sing," which later came to be affectionately sung as the "Black National Anthem." Leaving his mark as a diplomat and lawyer, he challenged racial prejudice with his versatile intellect. Directing movements to denounce white supremacist violence, he dedicated his life to the reconciliation of Black artistic advancement and legal equality.

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