Fisk/Meharry in Nashville in Davidson County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
James Weldon Johnson Home
Photographed By R. E. Smith, September 2, 2007
1. James Weldon Johnson Home Marker
This Dutch Colonial house was built in 1931 for James Weldon Johnson. He served as U.S. Consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua, editor of the New York Age, and field secretary of the NAACP. Johnson's poem, "Lift Every Voice and Sing," set to music by his brother, J. Rosamond Johnson, is renowned as the Negro National Anthem. Johnson occupied the Adam K. Spence Chair of Creative Literature and taught creative writing at Fisk University from 1931 until his death in 1938.Erected by Tennessee Historical Commission. (Marker Number 3A 141.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture • Arts, Letters, Music • Education. In addition, it is included in the Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and the Tennessee Historical Commission series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.
Location. 36° 9.873′ N, 86° 48.283′ W. Marker is in Nashville, Tennessee, in Davidson County. It is in Fisk/Meharry. Marker is on Dr DB Todd Jr Boulevard near Hermosa
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Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. William J. Faulkner (within shouting distance of this marker); Arna Wendell Bontemps (within shouting distance of this marker); Fisk University (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); Carl Van Vechten Art Gallery (about 600 feet away); The Little Theatre (about 700 feet away); William Edward Burghardt DuBois (about 700 feet away); Samuel Allen McElwee (about 700 feet away); Ella Sheppard (Moore) (about 800 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Nashville.
Also see . . . Answers.com entry for James Weldon Johnson. (Submitted on January 7, 2008, by Kevin W. of Stafford, Virginia.)
Photographed By R. E. Smith, September 2, 2007
2. James Weldon Johnson Home and Marker
Photographed By Allen C. Browne, August 9, 2015
3. James Weldon Johnson
This 1943 portrait of James Weldon Johnson by Laura Wheeler Waring hangs in the National Gallery in Washington DC.
“James Weldon Johnson was a Renaissance man: successful Broadway lyricist, poet, novelist, diplomat, and a key figure in the NAACP. In 1900 he collaborated with his brother to produce ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ a song that later acquired the subtitle of ‘The Negro National Anthem.’ President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Johnson consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua, where he served with great distinction. In the 1920s, Johnson became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, known for his anthology, The Book of American Negro Poetry; his work on African American religion, God's Trombones; and Black Manhattan, the first history of African Americans in New York City. As chief operating officer of the NAACP during that same decade, he helped formulate the strategy that would later overturn American segregation laws. The background of this portrait recalls ‘Creation,’ Johnson's best-known poem in God's Trombones.” — National Portrait Gallery
“James Weldon Johnson was a Renaissance man: successful Broadway lyricist, poet, novelist, diplomat, and a key figure in the NAACP. In 1900 he collaborated with his brother to produce ‘Lift Every Voice and Sing,’ a song that later acquired the subtitle of ‘The Negro National Anthem.’ President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Johnson consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua, where he served with great distinction. In the 1920s, Johnson became a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, known for his anthology, The Book of American Negro Poetry; his work on African American religion, God's Trombones; and Black Manhattan, the first history of African Americans in New York City. As chief operating officer of the NAACP during that same decade, he helped formulate the strategy that would later overturn American segregation laws. The background of this portrait recalls ‘Creation,’ Johnson's best-known poem in God's Trombones.” — National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on January 4, 2008, by R. E. Smith of Nashville, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 3,499 times since then and 166 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on January 5, 2008, by R. E. Smith of Nashville, Tennessee. 3. submitted on August 21, 2015, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.
