1871-1938

Brother of composer John Johnson, James studied literature at Atlanta University (graduated 1894, MA 1904), and went on to become a song writer, anthologist, teacher, and lawyer; he was the first African-American to pass the bar in the state of Florida. In 1906 he became the American consul in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela, and in 1909, consul in Corinto, Nicaragua. In 1920, he was appointed Executive Secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. His works include:

• The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, 1920
• The Book of American Negro Poetry, 1922
• God’s Trombones, 1927
• Along This Way, 1933

• Findagrave, accessed 8 Mar 2017
• Wikipedia, accessed 8 Mar 2017
• Young, p. 777

1. Lift Every Voice and Sing