A group of young men in Jacksonville; Florida; arranged to celebrate Lincolns birthday in 1900. My brother; J. Rosamond Johnson; and I decided to write a song to be sung at the exercise. I wrote the words and he wrote the music. Our New York publisher; Edward B. Marks; made mimeographed copies for us and the song was taught to and sung by a chorus of five hundred colored school children. Shortly afterwards my brother and I moved from Jacksonville to New York; and the song passed out of our minds. But the school children of Jacksonville kept singing it; they went off to other schools and sang it; they became teachers and taught it to other children. Within twenty years it was being sung over the South and in some other parts of the country. Today; the song; popularly known as the Negro National Hymn; is quite generally used. "The lines of this song repay me in elation; almost of exquisite anguish; whenever I hear them sung by Negro children." mdash;James Weldon Johnson; 1935Pasted into Bibles; schoolbooks; and hearts; "Lift Every Voice and Sing;" written by J. Rosamond Johnson and James Weldon Johnson in 1900; has become one of the most beloved songs in the African American communitymdash;taught for years in schools; churches; and civic organizations. Adopted by the NAACP as its official song in the 1920s and sung throughout the civil rights movement; it is still heard today at gatherings across America.James Weldon Johnsons lyrics pay homage to a history of struggle but never waver from a sense of optimism for the futuremdash;"facing the rising sun of our new day begun; let us march on till victory is won." Its message of hope and strength has made "Lift Every Voice and Sing" a source of inspiration for generations.In celebration of the songs centennial; Julian Bond and Sondra Kathryn Wilson have collected one hundred essays by artists; educators; politicians; and activists reflecting on their personal experiences with the song. Also featuring photos from historical archives; Lift Every Voice and Sing is a moving illustration of the African American experience in the past century. With contributors including John Hope Franklin; Jesse Jackson; Maya Angelou; Norman Lear; Maxine Waters; and Percy Sutton; this volume is a personal tribute to the enduring power of an anthem. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" has touched the hearts of many who have heard it because its true aim; as Harry Belafonte explains; "isnt just to show life as it is but to show life as it should be."
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Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Broad reference baseBy william robertsonWhile I am only part way through this book I have found each chapter engaging and informative. The book has a broad research/reference base so if you are seeking information on this topic you will most likely find useful material in a large portion of this book.