Historical Timeline
Advancing the Legacy
1871: A Visionary is Born in Jacksonville, Florida
Born on June 17 in Jacksonville, Florida, to James Johnson and Helen Louise Dillet Johnson, James Weldon Johnson grew up in a household deeply committed to education, creativity, and social responsibility.
1884-1887: Key Encounters and Academic Milestones
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1884: First Encounter with New York City, igniting admiration for its cultural richness.
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1886: Meets Frederick Douglass, deepening his awareness of racial justice.
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1887: Graduates from Stanton School, Jacksonville, Florida
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1871-1887
Early Life and Education Foundations
1900-1901: Pioneering Leadership and a Powerful Anthem
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1900: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is performed by 500 schoolchildren for President Lincoln’s birthday.
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1901: Elected President of the Florida State Teachers Association and nearly lynched in a Jacksonville park, prompting his decision to leave the South.
1902-1903: New Beginnings and Musical Innovation
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1902: Resigns as principal of Stanton School and moves to New York City, forming the musical trio Cole and the Johnson Brothers, writing over 200 songs for Broadway.
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1903: Pursues graduate studies at Columbia University under Brander Matthews, professor of dramatic literature.
1904: Political, Academic, and Business Leadership
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Writes two campaign songs for Theodore Roosevelt’s presidential campaign.
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Receives an honorary degree from Atlanta University.
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Joins the National Business League, founded by Booker T. Washington.
1905: Expanding Musical Influence in Europe
Cole and Johnson Brothers embark on a European tour to expand their musical reach.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1900-1905
Defining Leadership and Artistic Innovation
1913: Advocacy Through Media and Music
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Resigns from the U.S. Consular Service, citing racial prejudice and political challenges.
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Begins contributing to The New York Age, a prominent African American newspaper.
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Becomes the only Black founding member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).
1914: Bridging Cultures Through Language and Leadership
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Joins Sigma Pi Phi fraternity (the Boulé).
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Fluent in Spanish, James Weldon Johnson translates the libretto of the Spanish grand opera Goyescas into English for its performance at the Metropolitan Opera.
1915: Joining the Fight for Civil Rights
Becomes a member of the NAACP.
1916: Shaping the Future of the NAACP
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Attends the NAACP Amenia Conference, delivering a speech titled A Working Programme for the Future.
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Joins the NAACP staff as a Field Secretary, tasked with expanding membership and influence nationwide.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1913–1916
Transition and Early NAACP Work
1917: Pioneering Protest and Celebrating Freedom
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Leads the historic Silent March in New York City, the first mass protest of its kind, powerfully condemning racial violence and lynching while setting a precedent for future civil rights demonstrations.
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Publishes Fifty Years and Other Poems, marking the 50th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.
1920: Leading the NAACP and Exposing Injustice
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Becomes Executive Secretary of the NAACP, the first African American to hold this position.
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Investigates and publishes Self-Determining Haiti, exposing U.S. occupation abuses.
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1922: Elevating African American Voices in Literature
Publishes The Book of American Negro Poetry, a seminal anthology elevating African American literature.
1925: Celebrating Spirituals and Earning National Recognition
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Co-authors The Book of American Negro Spirituals with J. Rosamond Johnson.
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Receives the NAACP Spingarn Medal.
1927: A Literary Milestone and a Renewed Legacy
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Publishes God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse.
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The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man is reprinted under his own name, gaining widespread acclaim.
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1930: Documenting the Soul of Black Manhattan
Publishes Black Manhattan, documenting African American culture in New York City.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1917–1930
The NAACP and Harlem Renaissance
1931: Advancing Education at Fisk University
Appointed Adam K. Spence Professor of Creative Literature at Fisk University.
1933: Reflecting on Life and Purpose
Publishes his autobiography, Along This Way.
1934: NYU's First African American Professor
Becomes the first African American professor at New York University, teaching creative literature.
1938: A Life Cut Short, But a Legacy That Endures
Dies on June 26 in an automobile accident in Wiscasset, Maine.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1931-1939
Later Years and Legacy
1890: Advancing to Atlanta University
Graduates from the Preparatory Division and begins his freshman year at Atlanta University.
1891: Teaching and Early Leadership
Teaches school in Henry County, Georgia, during the summer.
1892: Early Recognition and Advocacy
Wins the Atlanta University Oratory Prize for his speech, “The Best Methods of Removing the Disabilities of Caste from the Negro.”
1893: Literary Ambitions Ignited
Meets poet Paul Laurence Dunbar at the Chicago World’s Fair, inspiring his literary ambitions.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1890-1893
Academic Development and Early Career
1894: Transforming Education at Stanton School
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Graduates with honors from Atlanta University and delivers the valedictory speech, The Destiny of the Human Race.
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Tours New England with the Atlanta University Quartet for three months.
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Becomes Principal of Stanton School, where he introduces high school-level courses, making Stanton the first public high school for African Americans in Jacksonville, Florida.
1895-1896: Pioneering Media and Education
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1895: Founds The Daily American, Jacksonville’s first African American newspaper.
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1896: Expands Stanton School to high school status, providing crucial educational opportunities for African Americans in Jacksonville.
1898: Breaking Barriers in Law
Becomes the first African American admitted to the Florida Bar since Reconstruction and opens a law practice with J. Douglas Wetmore in Jacksonville.
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1899: A Hymn for the Ages
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Writes the lyrics to "Lift Every Voice and Sing," originally titled “National Hymn.”
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1894-1899
Expanding Influence in Education, Media, and Law
1941: The Creation of the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection
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Grace Nail Johnson donates James Weldon Johnson’s papers to Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, establishing the James Weldon Johnson Memorial Collection.
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The collection expands to include the cultural, artistic, intellectual, and political contributions of prominent African Americans.
1954: Honoring the Legacy of J. Rosamond Johnson
Johnson’s brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, passes away. His contributions to music, especially “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” are celebrated posthumously alongside James Weldon Johnson’s literary and civil rights legacy.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1940s-1950s
Preserving and Expanding Johnson’s Legacy
1960s: "Lift Every Voice and Sing" as a Civil Rights Anthem
During the Civil Rights Movement, “Lift Every Voice and Sing” becomes an anthem of the struggle, sung at rallies, marches, and protests.
1976: Grace Nail Johnson's Passing
Grace Nail Johnson passes away on November 1st and is interred with James Weldon Johnson at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York. Ollie Jewel Sims Okala ensures their remains are placed in the Nail family plot.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1960s-1970s
A Legacy of Justice and Remembrance
1980s: The NAACP Celebrates Johnson's Legacy
The NAACP honors Johnson’s contributions to civil rights, literature, and education, often referencing his work in their campaigns for racial justice.
1990s Revitalizing Johnson’s Legacy in Academia and Literature
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1995: Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson oversees the republication of all of Johnson’s works, ensuring his literary legacy endures for future generations.
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1990s: Johnson’s works experience a resurgence in academia, becoming central texts in African American literature courses across the United States.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
1980s-1990s
Revitalizing Johnson's Legacy and Impact
2000
Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson and Julian Bond co-edit Lift Every Voice and Sing: A Celebration of the Negro National Anthem; 100 Years, 100 Voices, an anthology featuring 100 reflections on the hymn by prominent artists, educators, politicians, and activists.
2010
With the passing of Dr. Sondra Kathryn Wilson, Jill Rosenberg Jones takes on the role of Literary Executor, ensuring the continued preservation and growth of Johnson’s legacy.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
2000-2010
Celebrating Legacy and Ensuring Continuity
2011: Preserving Five Acres, Johnson’s Legacy in the Berkshires
Jill Rosenberg Jones and Rufus E. Jones, Jr. purchase Johnson’s summer home and writing cabin, Five Acres, in the Berkshires, beginning its preservation as a historic site.
2016: Founding the Foundation and National Recognition
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The James Weldon Johnson Foundation is established by Jill Rosenberg Jones and Rufus E. Jones, Jr., to advance Johnson’s legacy
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Lift Every Voice and Sing is recognized by the U.S. Library of Congress as a culturally significant piece of American heritage, with a recording by Melba Moore added to the National Recording Registry.
2017: Supporting the Arts and Future Generations
The James Weldon Johnson Fellowship in the Arts is established in partnership with Bard College at Simon’s Rock.
2021: A New Tradition at the Super Bowl
A new tradition is born as the NFL begins performing Lift Every Voice and Sing at the Super Bowl.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
2011-2021
Establishing the Foundation and Honoring Johnson’s Legacy
2023
The exterior restoration of James Weldon Johnson’s Writing Cabin is completed.
2025
The interior restoration of James Weldon Johnson’s Writing Cabin is initiated.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation
2023-2025
Restoring Johnson’s Writing Cabin
Hugo Gellert, "James Weldon Johnson," 1933. Yale Collection of American Literature, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.
“I dreamed that I was a rose
That grew beside a lonely way,
Close by a path none ever chose,
And there I lingered day by day.
Beneath the sunshine and the show’r
I grew and waited there apart,
Gathering perfume hour by hour,
And storing it within my heart,
Yet, never knew,
Just why I waited there and grew.”
—James Weldon Johnson, Excerpt from “The Awakening”
1906: Diplomacy and International Recognition
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Accepts membership in the Society of International Law.
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Appointed U.S. Consul to Venezuela by President Theodore Roosevelt.
1909: Advancing Diplomatically and Personal Milestones
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Promoted to U.S. Consul to Corinto, Nicaragua.
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Becomes engaged to Grace Nail, daughter of a prominent New York real estate developer John B. Nail .
1910: A Union That Shapes a Legacy
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Marries Grace Nail on February 3 in New York City.
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Grace becomes a key partner in his career and the preservation of his legacy.
1912: A Groundbreaking Novel on Race and Identity
Publishes The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man anonymously, a pioneering novel exploring racial identity and societal challenges.
James Weldon Johnson Foundation