African Americans on Postage Stamps

James Weldon Johnson

Writer, Lawyer, Educator, and Civil Rights Activist

22-cent James Weldon Johnson stamp
The James Weldon Johnson stamp was issued February 2, 1988.

James Weldon Johnson was a noted writer, lawyer, educator, and civil rights activist. His composition “Lift Every Voice and Sing” has long been considered the African-American national anthem, and he was a leading poet, editor, and mentor during the Harlem Renaissance. He served as a U.S. diplomat to Venezuela and Nicaragua and as the general secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The Black Experience