Johnson, James Weldon


An African-American writer, diplomat, and civil rights leader of the early twentieth century. His novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Coloured Man illustrated the difficulties of talented African-Americans. He also co-wrote “Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing” and encouraged writers of the Harlem Renaissance.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.