Born in Jacksonville, Florida, James Johnson was the first African American admitted to the Florida Bar Association since Reconstruction. He was also the co-composer of the Negro national anthem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing." He was a journalist, translator, and anthropologist. In addition, he served as a field secretary for the N.A.A.C.P., a diplomat to Venezuela (in 1906), and an English professor at Fisk University (in the 1930's). A central figure of the Harlem Renaissance, Johnson wrote The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man.

Source:
"James W. Johnson." African American Literature Book Club. http://authors.aalbc.com/jamesw.htm. 18 February, 2005.

Beavers, Herman. "James Weldon Johnson's Life and Career." An Online Journal and Multimedia Companion to Anthology of Modern American Poetry. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. 2002. http://www.english.ui.uc.edu/maps/poets/g_l/johnson/life.htm. 18 February, 2005.