James Weldon Johnson (1871–1938) was an African American poet, composer and civil rights activist during the Harlem Renaissance. He was raised in the South and educated at Atlanta Universitywhere he received a bachelor’s degree. Johnson was a multitalented figure in and outside of the Black community. Over the course of his illustrious career he worked as a principal, lawyer, and a United States consul for President Theodore Roosevelt. He was also a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) and helped compose "Lift Every Voice and Sing," the Black national anthem.