James Weldon Johnson
James Weldon Johnson (
June 17,
1871-
June 26,
1938) was a leading
African American author, poet, early civil rights activist, and prominent figure in the
Harlem Renaissance. Born in
Jacksonville,
Florida, he was the first African American accepted to the Florida bar. He served in several public capacities, including as consul to
Venezuela and
Nicaragua, but he is best remembered today for his writing, which included novels, poems, and collections of folklore.
His first major literary sensation was The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man (1912), in which he describes his success in overcoming the color barrier in America at the turn of the century. Written while he was still serving in the diplomatic corps, he resigned shortly after, realizing that he had slim chances for further promotion.
It was while serving as executive secretary of the NAACP that he released God's Trombones, the work he is best remembered for today. For several years previously, he had collected and published anthologies of African American poetry and folklore, when he determined that "A good deal has been written on the folk creations of the American Negro; his music, sacred and secular; his plantation tales, and his dances; but that there are folk sermons, as well, is a fact that has passed unnoticed." Rather than collect the sermons, he transformed them into verse to capture the nuances of the "rhythmic intoning."
Other works by Johnson include an opera, Tolosa, and the lyrics for "Lift Every Voice and Sing", to which his brother wrote the music. The song later became known as the "Negro National Anthem." He also wrote Fifty Years and Other Poems (1917), The Book of American Negro Poetry (1922), The Book of American Negro Spirituals (1925), and The Second Book of Negro Spirituals (1926), the novel Black Manhattan (1930), another autobiography Along This Way (1933), and Negro Americans, What Now? (1934), a book calling for civil rights for African Americans.
Johnson was one of the first African-American professors at New York University. He died while on vacation in Wiscasset, Maine in 1938, when the car he was driving was hit by a train.
External link
Essays about James Weldon Johnson
In the News
Stress Fast Tracks Puberty, Researchers Say
Stress, such as that brought on by parental separation and absentee fathers, fast tracks puberty, say researchers in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health. Adult Moms More Affectionate With Their Infants: Study
Mothers who are more mature tend to display more affection towards their infants whereas teenage mothers often focus on instrumental behaviour -- fixing their infant's clothes or their soother -- finds a new study of maternal behaviour. Hormone-driven Effects On Eating, Stress Mediated By Same Brain Region
A hormone system linked to reducing food consumption appears to do so by increasing stress-related behaviors, according to a new study. "With the increasing focus on obesity, people are interested in finding targets that can be used to develop drugs that will reduce appetite and food intake without a lot of side effects,"according to one of the scientists. Alchemy and infamy
 This week, I filled my regular fortnightly slot on ChemWeb with some applied chemistry, chemical engineering, and more:
volunteer work gets rewardedright from the top at the American Chemical Society, a novel approach to coupling unreactive arenessolves a century-old problem, sidesteps several synthetic steps and cuts down on waste, while a Stanford chemist reveals a PUGthat can hack the PubChem database. Also, this week The Alchemist discovers that forests of nanotubescan be bundled together like so many logs in a molecular scale timberyard and new European regulationson chemicals came into force at the beginning of June, but may not
reach
consumers foryearsmay not reach consumers for years. Finally, yet another answer to the problem of binge-eating and obesity, a synthetic version of the hormone amylingives positive rewards in the latest clinical tests. Butter Through the Ages
Explore the history and making of butter. Topics include recent debates and controversies about health concerns associated with butter and other fats, cooking with clarified butter, the chemistry of butter, historical butter storage methods, the use of butter in selected countries (such as India, Tibet, Japan, and Russia), instructions for making butter, and related material. From the Institute for Dynamic Educational Advancement (IDEA), an organization that promotes online learning. New insights into mushroom-derived drug promising for cancer treatment
A promising cancer drug, first discovered in a mushroom commonly used in Chinese medicine, could be made more effective thanks to researchers who have discovered how the drug works. Estrogen Study Provides New Impetus For Development Of Colon Cancer Dr
Estrogen may hold important clues for scientists working on new therapies for colon cancer, a study by Dana-Farber Cancer Institute researchers suggests. The investigators found that postmenopausal women with colon cancer lived longer and had less likelihood of dying of the disease if they had been taking estrogen supplements within five years of their diagnosis. The researchers stress that these findings do not mean estrogen should be viewed as a treatment or preventive therapy. Research Using Mouse Models Reveals A Novel Key Player In The Initiati
An animal model with an inactivating mutation within the mouse equivalent of the APC gene displays very similar pathology as seen in human colon cancers and develop tumor growths called polyps in their colons, eventually leading to death. Inactivating the APC gene was found, as in human cells, to cause the accumulation of a protein called beta-catenin in the nuclei of these cells. Washington State Department of Licensing: Special License Plates and P
Images of and information about special license plate designs available in Washington state, including the 19 additional designs available to residents in January 2006. Browse by categories such as collegiate, military, organizations, and sports and hobbies, to find designs, costs, and any special requirements. Also includes information about the special license plate review board and process for review. Researchers Discover Gene That Determines Asthma Susceptibility By Reg
A research team at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that the absence of Nrf2 exacerbated allergen-mediated asthma in mice models. Disruption of a single gene, Nrf2, plays a critical role in determining the susceptibility to asthma. The study's findings may hold therapeutic potential for the treatment of human asthma.
MP3 Music Downloads
Preview songs, Download Free Music,Burn CDs at ITunes.com
 
|
