How Did James Weldon Johnson Contribute To Harlem Renaissance

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If you are a reader and a songwriter, then Harlem Renaissance is the time period for you. A leading figure in the creation and development of the Harlem Renaissance was James Weldon Johnson. Raised without a sense of limitations among a society focused on segregating African Americans, Johnson had seen the actions of what society was pursuing. After high school, he attended Atlanta University where he graduated and later was hired as a principal in a grammar school and while serving in this position; he founded the Dailey American newspaper. Johnson was an intelligent young man who spoke the truth through political points and music during the Harlem Renaissance.
Johnson was a significant political influence for black Americans during the Harlem Renaissance. Being known as a leading figure in the Harlem Renaissance, “He showed the ability to stand as a protagonist of tolerance, of fair play, of justice, and of good will” (Salley).
These characteristics of Johnson helped him promote his ideas through political points and stand up for …show more content…

Johnson was a songwriter that united people to rise together and come together as on community. When James and his brother, John, wrote the song “ Lift Every Voice and Sing,” which would later become the official anthem of National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Johnson explored the rights of African Americans to come together and raise their voices against segregation (Bio). Johnson was writing songs that were related back to what was happening in society. He tried to let people see through his eyes and experience the thoughts running through his mind about his beliefs and actions on which African Americans should take to demolish segregation. He did not want violence; instead encouragement of brotherhood and family was his goal and for people to understand the power they have within in themselves when they are

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